


Forbidden

by madameHunterr



Category: Storm Hawks
Genre: Angels, Dark Ace - Freeform, Demons, F/M, Friendship, Good vs. Evil, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Secrets, Storm Hawks - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-26
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 04:41:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11305884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madameHunterr/pseuds/madameHunterr
Summary: Good vs. Evil. Conflicting morals. Battles of the heart and soul. Still, opposites attract. Despite getting over some troubles of the past, they must still overcome a great deal together while learning to accept each other for who they are. Dark Ace x OC. Rated: MA. [WARNING: contains Violence, Language and Sexuality]





	1. Strengths and Weaknesses

"Reckless! Absolutely reckless!" she scolded the children, her British accent very distinct and proper, the five of them sitting around the table in the helm room in the Condor.

"But, Flame—" Aerrow started, being cut off immediately when she turned around, her icy-blue eyes looking straight at him.

"But what, Aerrow? You _are_ the last descendant of the Storm Hawks. The five..." she said, looking at Aerrow's pet, Radarr, "six of you, have done an excellent job in restoring the Storm Hawks and the Condor. But this is a battle for more experienced Sky Knights."

"But he _is_ a Sky Knight, Flame!" Piper spoke up, "The council just won't accept us because we're—"

"Too young. That's why." she spoke, turning her back to them again, her right-shouldered black cape that reached up to her knees twirling with her.

"The other Sky Knights went in and got destroyed!" Finn explained, "We had no other choice!"

She looked at them once more, "I am well aware of that, Finn. I have to commend you all on your teamwork in regaining the Aurora Stone, despite breaking it to pieces in the process," she said, an eyebrow raising as to why they felt it was the only way to retrieve it, "But the Dark Ace, Aerrow?! How could you _possibly_ think you could take him down?!"

"He beat him up pretty good, though." Junko laughed, silencing himself when she looked at him.

"I know you've finally found your special skill, Aerrow, but there's only _one_ person that has ever come so close to beating the Dark Ace and it always ends in a draw because neither of them accepts defeat. You brought down his switchblade only for him to return and almost kill you."

"I _will_ defeat him one day!" Aerrow said, raising his clenched hand to prove his point of how passionate he was about eliminating the Cyclonian Commander.

Flame leaned in closer, her hair decorated with a blue and purple streak tickling Radarr in the process. "Hmm."

"What?" Aerrow asked.

"Nothing. I am proud of you guys, truly, You've temporarily crippled Cyclonis and that buys everyone more time," she spoke, raising her hand to her heart for a moment, "But I need you to not be irrational and always try to be the hero whenever danger calls. Why didn't you even tell me? _Me_ of all people?"

"Because you're not a Storm Hawk and it was _our_ job to retrieve the Aurora Stone!"

"Or...they just want to die." Stork said simply.

"You need to hone your skills more. All of you." she said, "You have a purpose and it involves _not_ dying before your time for the true victory arrives. We're in a time of war and this war _needs_ to end and _you_ need to be a part of that. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Flame." they all said, looking at her.

She stepped up to Aerrow, ruffling his hair, "It's time to grow up, Aerrow. This isn't the treehouse anymore. You're a Sky Knight now, but still a child."

"I know it isn't..." he said, not feeling that great despite the amazing teamwork they'd done to retrieve the precious crystal.

"You'll be fine." she smiled, "All of you will be."

She turned to walk out of the room, but was halted by Aerrow, "Who's the only person that has come close to defeating the Dark Ace before I did?" he asked.

She couldn't help but smile at the question, turning to them with a victorious smirk across her lips, "Me."

"You?!" Finn asked.

Aerrow looked at his friend and then back to her, "But how?"

"I'm his equal," she stated simply, "He has great power and some maneuverability, but I have stealth and extraordinary speed to accompany my power."

They looked at each other, unsure of how she knew him so well, "How do we defeat him?" Aerrow asked, "What's his weakness?"

Flame laughed at this, walking back to the hangar without answering their question. They'd find out soon enough...

* * *

 

_**A Few Months Before...** _

Their weapons clashed harshly, a bright burst of light illuminating their bodies.

He used the incredible strength in his upper body to push his blade further into her scythes, "You will never overpower me, Flame!" he growled, "Your equality with me ends today!"

She looked into his red eyes with her icy-blue ones, a smirk forming across her lips, "Do you say that because you think yourself so powerful despite our battles always ending in a draw, Dark Ace? Or is there something else that's on your mind today?" she asked, her words flowing from her mouth smoothly with a hint of entertainment behind them.

She pushed herself back and away from him, her feet sliding against the dusty desert ground, unlatching her scythes from each other. They carried slits in them for a more secure grip when she crossed them together, something that had come in handy many times in her battles.

The two of them spent several moments staring at each other, weapons in hand. They'd been fighting every time they saw each other for about a year now. No matter what he was doing, if he saw her, there was going to be a battle between the two.

There was a sense of confusion in his eyes. The way he was looking at her this time was different from all the others. It was something she would wouldn't easily forget. What was he thinking?

He admired her and he was sure she admired him as well by the way she looked at him as of late. She was his equal, the only person he was never able to defeat but refused to settle for anything less than a draw, on both of their parts. Besides her, every battle he'd ever been in was another victory for him, but he just couldn't defeat her, nor she him.

"Tell me, Dark Ace, what draws you to Cyclonia so much?" she asked, lowering her weapons and seeming rather calm despite the fact that they were in the middle of an intense battle—or perhaps the draw just hadn't been announced yet. A hand on her hip, she saw the look of thought in his eyes, but he didn't speak and the answer she got from his eyes alone weren't telling her what she wanted to know, either. It seemed as if his mind wasn't really there.

"What doesn't draw you to it?" he asked in return, but she dismissed that question.

She knew that the evil Cyclonis wanted to unleash upon Atmos was a fate that nobody should ever have to endure. Not again; not after his betrayal. The new, young Cyclonis was simply following in her late grandmother's footsteps, the woman who granted the Dark Ace his commanding position over the Cyclonian Talon Squadron in return for his treachery.

She was looking in him for an answer that he himself didn't truly have. Still, she continued asking her questions, "Are you aware of what Cyclonis' true intentions are? Do you _really_ think it only means control? Do you think she _truly_ understands the chaos she will bring not only just to us, but more to herself and her subjects? That includes you, Dark Ace. She is a child, unsure of anything but the wrath she wishes to bestow upon everyone who disagrees with her. It is rather irrational and immature. Then again, it is in her blood, isn't it?"

"Don't you dare speak of Master Cyclonis in such a manner!" he yelled, readying his weapon to attack, but was surprised that she continued to just stand there and not be bothered at all.

"Tell me," she began, "Why did you betray the Storm Hawks?"

"Why not? What could they have possibly offered me? A fake paradise? Cyclonia holds the true power and future for Atmos!"

"You joined Cyclonia because you felt like you weren't being admired the what you should have been, didn't you? You were simply Lightning Strike's co-pilot and nothing more. You wanted more recognition. Did you betray the Sky Knights because the Empress had offered you a deal, or had you made that deal with her _after_ you murdered your own friends and took Strike's weapon as your own?" she asked, seeing a hint of guilt in his eyes, or perhaps it was just the memory of that fateful day, "What did you think she could have possibly offered you to make you turn your back on those who fight to protect innocent people? People who just want to live their lives in peace without this chaos."

"My past decisions are none of your concern, Flame!"

"Of course it concerns me, Ace! Don't act as if you don't remember all that time we'd spent together! All the hours we'd spent working on the rides and you helping me study! Did you _really_ think I would forget any of it?! Did you think I would forget that you _killed_ my uncle?! It is the _only_ thing that drove me; the _only_ thing that kept me going, Ace. I will _never_ forget what you did and neither will you!"

"He never cared about any of us! He cared about the fame and glory _he_ got while we stood in his shadow! The only person that had a chance of benefiting from it all was _you_!"

"You killed him out of jealousy?! You murdered a man who only wanted to protect innocent people! He trusted you! _I trusted you_!"

"That is in the past, Flame. It doesn't matter anymore. We can't change anything now. I serve Cyclonia and there is _nothing_ that could make me turn my back on Cyclonis."

"You watched her grow up for the past nine years while doing her grandmother's bidding. Do you have feelings for her now that she's the Empress, Dark Ace? Is that why you're so loyal to her? Do you still feel the need to protect her because she's just a mere, reckless child?" she asked.

That was the tipping point she was looking for. He yelled, lunging to attack her, but was caught off guard by her quick disappearance before suddenly appearing between him and his own blade, her scythes pressed against his neck, her body pressed against his.

"Don't you tire of these battles?" she asked him, looking into his eyes and unable to hide her smile as she saw the surrender in his expression. But the more she looked into his eyes, the more she saw that there was something else. Something she longed for and it was now clear that those feelings were undoubtedly reciprocated.

"How do you still know me so well after all these years?" he asked her, but she said nothing. She saw the softer side of him, _knew_ what lied beneath the hardened shell he built around himself and above all else, she had been battling him for so many months, observing his every move that it became more of an advantage to her than anything else with her significant speed.

He dropped his blade, the sound of the metal hitting dirt and the crystal energy being cut off. She too lowered her scythes from his neck, the weapons falling at her side as the same sound from his weapon emanated from hers.

"Is _this_ what I've caused, Flame?" he asked her. There was so much confusion in his eyes, "Did I cause you to become this way?"

"You've always had a very strong influence on my life, Dark Ace." she answered simply.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her before quickly pulling her into a deep and passionate kiss, her arms wrapping around him in return. Their tongues battled for dominance as well as their bodies, as she used her force and unusual speed to swiftly push him against a large rock, their lips parting from the impact.

A mischievous smile formed across his lips, his hand unzipping her uniform, giving himself access to what they both desired, turning her around so she was now pressed against the rock.

She bit her lip as his hand continued, moving her black-laced thong aside, lightly grazing her clitoris. She hummed out in pleasure, eyes locked on his as he pressed his body against hers more, swiftly sliding a finger into her, causing her to moan out.

"You appear to have invincibility and wit, Flame, but it's clear that you actually _do_ have a weakness. A very...entertaining one."

"And pray tell, what is that weakness, Dark Ace?" she asked him, relishing in his hot breath against her skin while his finger curled within her repeatedly.

He moved back to look into her eyes once again, a menacing smirk forming across his lips as he removed his finger from within her. She didn't want to take her eyes off of his lips, but she was more drawn to his eyes. In them, she felt as if there was a void in her that only he could fill and she became so caught up in them that she hadn't been paying attention nor cared about anything else despite seeing his arms moving slightly. He brought his lips closer to hers, obviously teasing her desires as he lifted her up and she naturally wrapped her arms and legs around his slim figure, being pressed up to the rock still as she felt him rubbing against her.

"Me." his tantalizing voice spoke out victoriously before thrusting himself into her harshly.

She screamed out, not expecting such immediate force behind his movement. His lips found her neck while her hands found his black hair as he kissed up to her jawline before finding her lips once more.

His hips moved back and forth, her grip on his hair tightening as his movements became even stronger; his grip on her hips so tight that she knew they were going to leave bruises as a painfully blissful reminder of this moment.

He nestled his head into her neck and she knew he was becoming more caught up in the union. She closed her eyes, savouring the pleasure of his hard member driving into her over and over again. Her desperate need to hold on to him caused her to rip the back of his uniform open, her nails digging deeply into his pale skin, feeling a thick liquid trickling down her fingertips as he he hissed.

Still, that didn't stop his advances as their sweating bodies stayed clashed together, a hand moving to caress one her her breasts under her matching black-laced bra. He kissed her passionately while never stopping his movements. She was so close, beginning to aid him when their hips met and he let out a groan; a sound that was breathtaking to her ears. He began to grind back against her, his menacing chuckle sounding out as he knew she was helpless against him.

She was still very aware that he could take this opportunity and end her life if he wanted to, but he never did, nor was it a concern for her at that point, either. All that mattered to her was the moment the two of them were sharing. A forbidden moment of passion in the middle of a deadly war.

"Flame..." he whispered out with a moan and it was her turn to relish in victory. That was all she needed to know that she was apparently his weakness as well.

"I would consider this a victory, Dark Ace..." she moaned out, losing her breath as he pushed himself into her as hard and deep as he could, this thumb now rubbing her wet clitoris. She screamed out, digging her nails into his skin once more, her other hand pulling on his hair harshly while the tingling and somewhat numbing sensation coursed through every cell in her body as she reached her tipping point, her pleasure heightening even more.

"Yes, Sky Knight...for _me._ " he said, gripping her streaked black hair to tilt her head, kissing her neck, down to her collar bone and back up again before she gently held his face in her hands to softly kiss his lips as he kept her held up off the ground all the while with her legs wrapped around him. "I suppose it's my turn," he said with a smirk that made her bite her lip in anticipation.

He gripped her hips once more and she hissed as she felt a momentary pain. It would seem that he'd already bruised her from his powerful grip and thrusts. He once again began his forceful movements, the pace picking up this time as he was now driven to reach his own peak, her intensified bliss benefiting greatly. The tightness from her own climax certainly helped him, as it didn't take him very long before he gave one last, hard trust, holding her in place as they both caught their breaths, their sweat mingling and dripping down their bodies on the desert Terra.

"Was it necessary to cut me?" he asked her, hissing in pain once again as he moved to let her down, pulling himself out of her.

"It would seem my weakness tends to make me do that." she came back smoothly, picking up her weapons and sheathing them in their rightful place on her lower back. He did the same, but was unable to place his weapon where it belonged due to the cuts and scratches she'd given him in the process. She looked at him as he did her. She wanted to say something, anything, but it seemed there was nothing that needed to be said. She began walking over to her Switchblade when suddenly, a rope was wrapped around her wrist and she yelped and she was pulled back toward the Dark Ace with his grappling hook, finding herself in his arms once again.

"This will not be the last you see of me, Flame." he spoke in an assured tone, not needing to explain exactly what he meant by that.

"I will decide that, Ace" she answered back, a soft smile forming across her lips before he gently pressed his own against hers.


	2. A Change In Plans

"It's perfect!" Piper exclaimed, "Absolutely, positively the best plan _ever_!"

"Uhm...I'm not gonna like this, am I?" Stork asked in return.

"When do you _ever_ like something, Stork?" Flame asked him as she sat in the chair opposite of where Piper was standing, her cape, flowing over the chair. Radarr was on her shoulder sniffing her hair and neck. "Knock if off, Radarr!" she said, tossing him to Aerrow, who was caught off guard and ended up having the pet latch on to his face before moving around his shoulders.

Piper continued to explain her plan and, of course, Stork didn't approve.

"Did somebody say South West?" Finn asked, to which Piper confirmed.

"Finn..." Flame started, but he ignored her.

"You know what's in the South West, don't you?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"Oh! Let me guess!" Junko popped in, "Terra Neon's twenty-four hour gravy buffet!"

"Why am I even sitting between you two morons?" Flame asked.

"Well, there is that," Finn agreed, "But think _warmer_..."

When Junko realized what he was talking about, they both exclaimed, 'Tropica!'

"And _this_ , Aerrow, is why I babysit you children" Flame said to the teen boy, considering that they might be the reason Stork didn't seem all that mentally stable as she made her way over to Piper's side. Aerrow shook his head with a chuckle as Finn and Junko thought of all the things they could do on Terra Tropica.

"Don't forget the swimsuits." Piper reminded them. Based on their reactions, their imagination led them to something they didn't want to see.

"Stork," Aerrow said, grabbing the attention of the Merb, "Set course for Tropica." he ordered.

" _Yes_!" Stork agreed enthusiastically, grabbing the helm and doing as told.

"Stork! You're supposed to help me keep them safe while they study Cyclonians!" Flame said, displeased that the Merb was interested in going to Tropica as well.

Her head lowered to the ground a little, a small smile forming across her lips.

* * *

 

_**Flashback...** _

" _This place is so beautiful." she said, looking around the island before returning her gaze to her lover._

" _It would be more so if you stopped moving around and let me have my way with you." the Dark Ace replied, a menacing smirk forming across his lips._

" _Is that so?" she asked him, strutting back over to him in her beautiful black bikini clad with silver neck to hip chains, "Aren't you supposed to be serving your Master instead of relaxing under the sun?"_

" _It's my day off." he brushed his duties aside, "I do as I please on days like this..." he explained, eyes never leaving her body as she straddled him. "And I must say...the view is absolutely breathtaking..." he continued, putting his hands on her hips._

* * *

 

"Flame?!" she heard Aerrow call out, snapping her out of her memory.

"Y-yes?" she answered.

He had an odd look on his face, as if she was yellow with red dots, "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright." she reassured him, looking over to see through the window, "I'll give you children this chance to relax for a while, alright? After that, it's back to training."

"Don't ruin the fun, babe! We'll have a great time there!" Finn said, only for Flame's hand to be put over his face as she pushed him aside, making her way to sit down once again, her mind continuing on about her time spent on Terra Tropica with her lover.

The ride to Terra Tropica was smooth until they begun passing through Terra Gale. The sirens blared and everyone looked around, wondering what was going on. Stork took a look, concluding that they were 'doomed', like usual. Suddenly, a toilet broke through the Condor's front window, stopping at Finn's feet.

"Alright, to the hangar, I suppose." Flame spoke up, "Best to leave the Condor out of this, right, Stork?" she said, smiling at him.

"That is something I can live with." he agreed.

Everyone hopped onto their rides while Flame stayed aboard the ship, taking off of the Condor one by one. Flame knew something wasn't right about the clouds and could only assume is was related to Cyclonia.

"Oh, Ace...what have you done this time?" she spoke softly to herself.

"What was that?" Stork asked?

She looked up, not realizing she'd spoken out loud, "What was what?" she asked in return, playing stupid for a moment.

Suddenly, red beams shot over everyone's rides from behind, them looking back to see Talons.

Finn radioed in to the Condor, explaining that they were under attack, losing his Skimmer in the process, like usual. He hung on to the scope for as long as he could before the wires gave out and fell, only being caught by Piper's Heli-Scooter.

"I'm going out after them." Flame spoke up, turning to run to the hangar and took off as quickly as she could.

Aerrow managed to confuse one of the Talons, causing him to abandon his ride. Another Talon pulled out a swarm crystal, planning to use it on one of teens only the have it grabbed out of his hand by Finn and it being tossed into the ride, the metal craft turning into tiny bits and the swarm left in it's wake attacking the Talon himself.

Flame continued to circle around, keeping watch on them as another Talon was after Aerrow. That was, until a mattress was thrown at him and he plummeted down. Piper took a look at what was going on to see a man wearing a sort of Kiln as armour. Flame laughed out, knowing that old mad man all too well. Aerrow, Radarr, Finn and Piper made their way down to Terra Gale as did Flame, but unlike the three teenagers, Flame stayed next to her Switchblade, watching what would take place next.

The three searched for the old man, falling into a netted trap. The old man went on about the teenagers being Cyclonians and that they will face punishment for what they'd done. Being moved into a catapult to be tossed into the Wastelands.

"Wren." the old man heard, turning to see Flame approaching.

"Mademoiselle Flame?" he said in confusion, pronouncing her name wrong as usual, "What are you doing here?" he asked. Few words were understandable by the Frenchman, but this wasn't her first time meeting him, of course.

"They're not Cyclonians," she laughed, "We were on our way to Terra Tropica. I knew those clouds weren't normal to the Terra. Please, let them go?" she asked him.

"Zey are Cyclonian spies!" the man said, continuing to move the catapult toward the cliff edge.

"You truly are a mad man, Wren." Flame responded.

"Radarr, go!" Aerrow told his pet, who moved immediately, biting the old man on his foot. The pain made him let go of the lever, giving Radarr the chance to bite away the net keeping the three teenagers held together.

Once they were released, Wren resorted to holding up his fists for hand-to-hand combat, bragging about being pretty good at fighting back in the day.

Piper lowered her head into her hand for a moment, "We're not Cyclonians!" she exclaimed.

"She's right!" Aerrow backed her up, "We're the good guys! The Storm Hawks?"

Wren looked at them in confusion.

"Come on!" Finn spoke, "You've heard of us! We're famous."

"No, you're not." Flame told him.

"Jealous?" he asked her.

She laughed out, "I can kick your scrawny ass any day, Finn." she reassured him, patting him on the back hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs.

"Nope! Never heard of you!" the old man concluded, "Who is your 'Commanding Officer'?" he asked.

"That would be me." Aerrow answered.

The old mad man spat on his hand, shaking Aerrow's as he introduced himself, Flame giggling at Aerrow's reaction. "Ze name is Wren! Welcome to ze last free piece of Terra Gale!" he said, something falling off the building behind him.

"Impressive..." Finn commented sarcastically, receiving Piper's elbow in his stomach.

The sun set quickly and Wren spoke to them over the campfire about the freedom of Terra Gale being taken away from them by Cyclonians.

 _Honestly...I picked_ _the worst man..._ Flame thought to herself as she knew it could only be the Dark Ace behind it via Cyclonis' orders.

Wren explained that two weeks ago, his granddaughter, Dove, was kidnapped by the Cyclonians. Flame didn't want to believe that her lover could have kidnapped a young girl, but then again, she wouldn't put anything past that evil man.

"Yup, there it is." Finn spoke up as he watched Aerrow's face upon looking at Dove's picture when Wren handed it to him.

"Shut up, Finn." Flame said, smacking him on the back of his head.

"That's the 'we're going on a dangerous mission' look." Finn continued, rubbing the back of his head.

Aerrow reassured Wren that they would get the young girl back from the Cyclonians, handing the picture to Finn. Upon seeing her, Finn was all for it, only to receive yet another smack over his head.

"Do you purposely just stand there to smack me?" he asked the woman.

A wry smirk formed across Flame's lips, "Sometimes."

Wren was ecstatic about their decision to go in after Dove, mentioning to them that they should teach the Dark Ace a thing or two.

Flame smacked herself in the face with her own hand, shaking her head.

"Is something wrong, Flame?" Aerrow asked her.

She smiled, "No, nothing's wrong, Aerrow. Thanks." she reassured him. _He's most definitely going to hear a thing or two about this one..._

They returned to the ship, forming a plan as to how they could infiltrate Cyclonia in order to rescue the young girl and explained their decision once the plan was done.

A part of Flame felt like she was betraying the Dark Ace, but the good in her knew that what he did was wrong and she would have to speak to him about what he'd done. Kidnapping a young girl? What reason could he, or Cyclonis', have for doing such a thing?

Everybody knew that something was on Flame's mind, but nobody dared asking her about it. Doing so would only lead them to get lectured about something else, which she often did to mislead them on her true thoughts.

* * *

 

Their plan was good, even though they ultimately wrecked their rides while Flame's Switchblade remained intact. She took another route in: one that she had personal access to, to none of the Storm Hawks' knowledge. They carried no suspicion when she had wandered off, using Dove as an excuse to find what she truly came for.

Walking through the halls, the guards paid no attention to her as this wasn't the first time she had been seen in Cyclonia. Even though they had their suspicions, she was granted access by the Dark Ace himself and, hesitantly, by Cyclonis. Asking around for her lover, she kept walking in the directions the Talons were pointing her in, not looking in front of her and bumping into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm looking for—"

"Flame?" he spoke, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for you, Ace." she said. She was irritated and he knew that, looking around before looking back at her.

"Is that so? Did you miss me too much?" he asked, a mischievous smile forming across his lips as he grabbed her, pulling her closer to him.

She smacked him across the face, pulling away from him, "Why did you kidnap a young girl? What did she or her grandfather ever do to you?!" she asked him.

"We captured the Rebel Ducks and figured that she was a part of their Squadron."

"Ace..." she said, a disappointed look in her eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, Flame." he said, cupping her cheek, "You know why I do what I do."

"I know." she said, "It just saddens me that you're...so loyal to her cause."

"We'll discuss this later, Flame." he finalized, "I assume you have somewhere to be?" he asked, an eyebrow raising in curiosity.

"I'll see you soon, Ace." she agreed, being given a soft kiss before returning to her Switchblade.

Once returning to their evacuation area, Flame was able to play off her sudden disappearance easily and headed out with Aerrow and the rest of the team to return to Terra Gale.

_He'll be arriving any second now..._

Aerrow let out a sigh of relief, "I told you the plan was fool proof!" he bragged to Piper and Flame,

"Aerrow..." Flame started, but he continued on.

"We saved the day and didn't even run...into..." he stopped his sentence upon seeing him standing on his ride.

Flame huffed, "I told you."

"I think you spoke too soon..." Piper added.

"The Dark Ace!" Aerrow growled out.

"Well, well. If it isn't the 'notorious' Storm Hawks." he said, that same evil smile forming across his face, "and, of course, the one lone Sky Knight to aid them." he finished, looking at his lover.

Flame looked at him, _was it necessary to point me out...?_

"Nice to see you too, Dark Ace." she said with a mischievous smile.

He looked at her, "Always a pleasure..." he replied in a rather flirtatious tone. She was glad none of the teens had noticed anything about it.

"From the looks of that storm, he's got a Fire Bolt Crystal." Piper informed them.

"Storm Hawks! Prepare for battle!" Aerrow ordered.

"Talons," the Dark Ace spoke, sitting back down on his Switchblade, "Attack!"

Aerrow went directly for the Dark Ace, both of them preparing their signature move, but the Dark Ace's was much more powerful and caused Aerrow to be knocked off of his Skimmer, using his glider to return to it.

Flame flew around, watching and observing the Storm Hawks. She tended to not get involved in their battles because she needed them to learn on their own, but was nonetheless disappointed by her lover always trying to kill Aerrow.

Aerrow ordered his team to enter the clouds in order to lose the Dark Ace. Flame pulled back to join the Dark Ace's side with a scythe in hand, looking at her lover, "Why don't you ever listen to me? He's just a child, Ace."

"I told you that we will discuss this later, woman!" he said once again, "Stay out of this as you always plan to. I don't want to damage that pretty face, after all." he said with a hand on her cheek, a dark grin appearing on his lips before giving her a kiss.

She was glad that the Storm Hawks were busy looking out for themselves. She wasn't ready to tell anyone hat she was involved with the enemy in such a way. The only person that knew about it was her best friend and a fellow Sky Knight, Starling.

"Hide and seek?" the Dark Ace spoke out as the Storm Hawks entered the clouds, "I'll play." he agreed.

Both of them knew that he controlled the cloud they'd just flown into and it was a complete giveaway.

"I see you," he said, quite satisfied, throwing an energy bolt in their direction.

"Why are you so evil?" she asked the Dark Ace.

"Why do you love me regardless of that?" he came back, her not being pleased with his witty remark while he looked around for the teenagers.

Suddenly, one of the talons were shot down and Flame knew that it was Finn's handy work. Quickly, she hopped on to his Switchblade and he stood up, their weapons clashing for the sake of those watching.

"My place tonight?" she asked the Dark Ace.

"Of course." he agreed, giving her a chaste kiss before she hopped back onto her ride and pulled back and away, pretending that she was fighting him beforehand. She was sure Finn saw something and was probably wondering why the Dark Ace hadn't thrown any attacks at her after her withdrawal. Luckily, it was perfect timing, as Finn had continued to shoot at the Cyclonian Commander.

The Dark Ace managed to destroy Finn's Skimmer and he fell, being saved by Piper's Heli-Scooter once again until she shook him off to join Junko on his ride. The Dark Ace managed to blow out an engine on Junko's Skimmer, pursuing them as they gradually declined toward the Wastelands until his attention turned to Aerrow's fist connecting with his face.

Flame came back to the Dark Ace's side, scythes out and watching as the two battled in a momentary hand-to-hand combat as the Dark Ace's blade was lodged into his Switchblade's wing.

"With a little more training, you'd make an excellent Talon." the Dark Ace told Aerrow.

Aerrow replied with him rather eating dirt and the Dark Ace simply replied with that being arranged. They continued on their battle, the Dark Ace getting a chance to get his blade back, pointing it at Aerrow.

"Checkmate." he said victoriously, having a good laugh when Aerrow pulled out a wrench.

 _This child is an idiot..._ Flame thought to herself before flying off to meet with the others. She knew she couldn't stick around and watch for too long without Aerrow wondering why she wasn't intervening, even though she had made it clear on multiple occasions that she was only there to watch over them.

The Dark Ace continued after Aerrow through a deserted Terra, not realizing until the last moment that the teen had lodged the wrench in between the wings of his Switchblade beforehand and was blown out of the sky as he was unable to retract the wings in time. He was able to grab his blade, but in the process, the Fire Bolt Crystal detached from his weapon and found itself in Aerrow's hand.

A Talon had managed to save the Dark Ace from plummeting to his death, but was only knocked off of the ride in return as the Dark Ace continued his pursuit for Aerrow. Once he was directly behind Aerrow, his attention was drawn away as he found himself surrounded by the rest of the Storm Hawks along with the Rebel Ducks of Terra Gale as well as the Condor, Flame flying right above the top of the ship.

"Now _that_ would be checkmate." Aerrow told the man confidently, flashing the Fire Bolt Crystal to taunt him even more.

The Dark Ace informed Aerrow that he wouldn't be so lucky next time before retreating back to Cyclonia. He knew he was in for a long talk with his lover, as always, but that was something that came along with being involved with someone of good nature when you're the complete opposite.

They returned Dove to Terra Gale along with the Rebel Ducks, being rewarded with a Windstone Crystal from the two.

"Now can we go to the beach?" Finn asked Aerrow, Junko agreeing with the blonde-headed boy.

"You kids have fun. I have somewhere that I need to be." Flame explained to them, taking off of the Condor and heading back to her small home and awaiting her lover to stop by.


	3. It's All 'Part of the Deal'

Aerrow, Piper and Radarr crept through the Phoenix nest, being as quiet as they possibly could. They were after the Phoenix Crystal, probably for Piper to study since there really was no other reason for them to have it other than keeping it out of the hands of the Cyclonians.

Perhaps the latter, as the Crystal was ripped from Aerrow's hand only for them to turn around and find it in the hands of the Dark Ace.

"Dark Ace!" Aerrow acknowledged him.

He chuckled evilly, "Aerrow. So nice to steal from you again," but his attention was drawn to Radarr around his leg, yelping out and the crystal being thrown out of his hand in the process of the creature biting his ankle.

Aerrow dove down, catching the crystal, but disturbed the peace within it. Beautiful, calm flames surrounded the crystal, a high-pitched screech following after. Aerrow stood up to watch as the Phoenix landed in front of them.

"You know what?" Aerrow said, "Maybe _you_ should have this." he told the Dark Ace, throwing the Crystal over to him.

The Dark Ace was none too pleased with the Crystal being in his hand, as he now held the attention of the Phoenix despite his expression being one of fascination upon seeing the creature. He tossed it over to Piper, who told him not to give it to her, but screamed and ran away with it nonetheless, running for her life to the point where she passed Aerrow, throwing the crystal behind her and it falling into Aerrow's hands.

The Dark Ace was already on his Switchblade and took off from the cliff, speaking about collecting the crystal from their charred remains.

Piper told Aerrow as they descended down to not deploy the blades of their rides, diving straight into the water and avoiding the phoenix in the process. They drove out afterward, Aerrow commending Piper for her idea. Radarr saw the Crystal and moved for it, but it was picked up by a tall, blonde man.

"This is exactly what we need." the man spoke with a rather self-righteous tone, standing proper and composed.

"Uh...hello?" Aerrow spoke out.

The man acknowledged them as the Storm Hawks, but put them down at the same time. Aerrow didn't know who the man thought he was, but Piper knew that he was the leader of the famous Rex Guardians.

Aerrow asked politely for the Crystal back, explaining that they almost lost their lives in the process of obtaining it.

The man disregarded Aerrow's request, stating simply that it's much too dangerous to be kept in the hands of children and that it will be taken to Terra Rex with them.

Finn and Junko soon joined in, asked if the Rex Guardians were giving them any trouble. Aerrow explained the situation.

Piper tried to explain that they're all on the same side and shouldn't be fighting over such a thing.

The man said that 'The Code' was quite clear, that the Crystal was now theirs and if they had a problem with that, it can always be dealt with through a challenge. Aerrow took him up on the challenge and in return, they were to follow the Rex Guardians back to their Terra as honoured guests for the evening; the following day would hold the challenge for who wins the right to the Phoenix Crystal.

Back on the Condor, Piper had to show Aerrow what 'The Code' was, explaining that the very first Sky Knight was a Rex Guardian and it held a set of rules in which not a single word of it had been changed in over five-hundred years.

Stork commented that they were uptight, considering the way they flew their rides but Aerrow still didn't see what was so great about them until Finn pointed out that they had a landing strip full of screaming fans.

The Storm Hawks were quite impressed by the recognition they received from the citizens of their Terra, Finn being rather upset that they didn't have action figures like the Rex Guardians did. Piper was taken away by the charm that the Squadron leader, Harrier, carried and tried to keep the Storm Hawks in line for the awaiting feast.

It was a complete disaster, none but Piper carrying any proper etiquette for such a special occasion. Aerrow seemed rather nonchalant and still didn't see what the problem with the feast was the following day.

"Flame would smack you all over the head if she saw the way you guys were acting at the table!" Piper exclaimed, "It was a complete and total disaster!"

"Just because they've got fans and shiny armour and fancy rides doesn't mean they're any better than us." Aerrow reassured his Squadron as they entered the Arena, looking around to see what they were truly in for.

Finn was dumbfounded, "We're so gonna lose..."

The two Squadrons went through the five events, the Storm Hawks being given excessive negative points or being disqualified, the fans being unhappy with the ratings that the Storm Hawks received. The only disqualification the Rex Guardians received was due to a small piece of metal of the wrong colour.

Finally, it was Aerrow's turn and in the end, he did defeat Harrier. However, everything favoured in the Rex Guardians and the final decision was that the Rex Guardians had won the challenge, clearly a biased decision.

The crowd ridiculed the Rex Guardians despite their victory, as they saw how extremely unfair the outcome was.

"You should be cheering!" Harrier exclaimed to the crowd, "I am _your_ Sky Knight! I am _your_ protector! I am the one who has guaranteed your safety for generations to come!"

"What is he talking about?" Aerrow asked Piper.

* * *

 

"Remind me why these chains are so necessary?" Flame asked as he bound her hands together as she sat on his Switchblade.

"Harrier wants you for his wife and he thinks that's what he'll be getting in return for handing me the Phoenix Crystal along with 'protection' against Cyclonia." he explained, "Besides, I don't think you want to go out there in front of your friends as if it wasn't against your will." he chuckled darkly.

She looked up and shook her head before he gently placed his hand on her chin lightly, kissing her softly, "Don't worry. You will never be his," he reassured her, leaning in closer, "Because you're _mine._ " he finished, getting on the ride too.

"Dark Ace?" Harrier called out.

He revved his engine, the bike taking off into the arena and stopping, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. He stepped off along with her, holding the chain that bound her hands together.

"Flame!" Aerrow called out.

"Aerrow..." she said, looking down.

"Don't worry, you'll be with your friends again soon enough. Thank you for helping me." the Dark Ace spoke so only she could hear him.

"As long as you don't use that Crystal. It only brings death along with it."

"And you will lose everything if you don't shut up and start acting like a prisoner." he hissed.

"Fuck you." she said, upset and looking away from him.

He let out a low, menacing chuckle, "Later, my love." he spoke as he approached Harrier.

"Accept this Crystal to affirm our peace." Harrier spoke.

"Don't mind if I do." the Dark Ace spoke, a mischievous grin forming across his lips as he looked at the Storm Hawks.

"And the woman who is to be my wife?" Harrier asked.

"In a moment." the Dark Ace replied, looking over to his lover for a few seconds.

Flame scoffed, " _Your_ wife, Harrier?"

"Yes. You are a rare gem—although your attire will need to be completely changed due to its appalling nature—and are part of the exchange. I had the Dark Ace bring you to me. Since you've refused me of your own will, I've no choice but to take you by force using the only man that I knew could capture you."

Flame let out a rather dark laugh, the Storm Hawks looking at each other for a moment. Finn noticed her looking at the Dark Ace in a rather unusual way before returning her gaze to Harrier, "I like _real_ men, Harrier. Dark, handsome, powerful and dangerous; not cocky, over-groomed and over-praised poodles like yourself." she spoke out, the crowd gasping in shock.

Harrier was taken back by her refusal despite being chained as she was, but the Dark Ace seemed rather amused by her words.

"Is anyone seeing this?" Finn asked, but they weren't sure what he was talking about. Surely, they couldn't be so blind that they didn't notice that Flame was a bit too calm standing next to the Dark Ace, chained or not. Clearly, that wasn't their biggest concern at the moment.

"You made a deal with the Dark Ace?" Aerrow asked Harrier, "Are you out of your mind?"

"I know _exactly_ what I'm doing!" Harrier snapped, "I'm ensuring that the Cyclonians will never threaten Terra Rex!"

"That's the _Dark Ace,_ " Piper spoke out, "He doesn't do deals!"

The Dark Ace stood there with Flame next to his side as Harrier spoke.

"He gave his word, His honour, bound." Harrier said.

"Honour is overrated." the Dark Ace told Harrier, "A Cyclonian invasion force is preparing as we speak." he informed the Squadron leader, throwing a forceful punch directly in Harrier's face, knocking him down, "As for Flame, I think I'll keep her for myself. After all, I am the type of man she likes...trust me on that one."

"What? Let her go, Dark Ace!" Aerrow said, but the Dark Ace ignored him as he approached his Switchblade, still holding the chains that bound Flame's hands together.

"Get on the Switchblade, Flame." he ordered her.

Flame looked at Aerrow and then back to her lover. This wasn't part of the plan. She was to be handed over to the Storm Hawks rather than being kept by the Dark Ace. Above all else, practically telling everyone that they were together.

"I said get on the fucking ride!" he yelled and she did as told, a look of sorrow in her eyes. She looked up at Aerrow and then to Finn. She knew the blonde teen was more aware than the others, but she just didn't know how explain such chemistry between her and Cyclonian Commander without being looked at as a traitor. They were too young to understand the true difficulty and simplicity of it all.

The Dark Ace got on to the ride as well, "Thanks for the rock, Aerrow." he told the teen before taking off with Flame as she looked back down at the Storm Hawks.

"Was it necessary to make it so obvious?!" she yelled at her lover.

"You said it yourself." he dismissed her irritation.

The Storm Hawks ran toward their rides, but were halted by a couple of Rex Guardians.

"Oh, come on! He's getting away!" Aerrow said angrily.

"This is _our_ battle." Harrier informed them.

"You don't know who you're dealing with." Piper informed him.

" _Quiet!_ " he exclaimed, "You're about to see how a _real_ Sky Knight does battle." he spoke, taking off, the rest of the Rex Guardians following him.

"Those guys are gonna get smacked down _so_ hard." Finn said in amusement, Junko nodding in agreement.

Flame looked back to see the Rex Guardians flying after them, "You need to unchain me, Ace. I can't hold on much longer with them after us!"

"Ugh! Damn it, woman!" he said, holding out his blade so she could melt the metal away and free her hands, rubbing her wrists a little.

"Just letting you know, I hate you right now." she told him as she wrapped her arms around her lover.

"I love you, too." he told her, "Now hold on tight." he turned around, now heading straight toward the Squadron, "Only five of them. I better go easy."

She let out a laugh, "Like you know how to go 'easy'." she told him, kissing his neck softly.

"You of all people should know that." he said, turning to look at her for a moment before he drew his attention back to the Rex Guardians, spinning to slice the wing off of one of the members' Skimmer. "Where'd you find your ride?" he asked them, "A museum?"

This caused Flame to laugh out as her arms were wrapped around her lover.

The Rex Guardians were absolutely no match for the Dark Ace, as each one was taken down one after the other. Only Harrier was left.

"Those who fight with honour will _always_ prevail!" he told the Dark Ace.

"Times have changed." the Dark Ace replied with a smile, sending a bolt into the Skimmer, destroying it. Harrier deployed his parachute, but the Dark Ace came back around to sever it, telling him to enjoy the ride.

"Was that necessary?" Flame asked him.

He looked at her, "Better him dead than always being after what belongs to me." he explained simply.

Luckily for Harrier, his death fall was halted by him landing on Aerrow's Skimmer wing.

"How _dare_ you interfere with my dual!" he spat at the redhead.

"The ground's right there, if you want to get off." Aerrow told him, dismissing his self-righteous comment. Radarr attached a parachute to Harrier, deploying it so that he would no longer be a thorn in Aerrow's side.

The Dark Ace took out Junko's ride, immediately heading toward Finn afterward.

"Ace, wait! Finn is my ticket out of this!"

"Not this time, my dear." he growled out, not wanting to let her go.

He shot a bolt from his blade and Finn did the same with his crossbow, both avoiding the collision, but the Dark Ace spun around to slice Finn's Skimmer in half, as it tended to happen quite often.

"Then how about Piper? Let me get off with Piper, Ace! They're going to notice even more if I stay!"

The Dark Ace growled out "Damn it, woman! Use your wings if you want to get off so badly!"

The expression on her face was one of shock, "H-how do you know about them?"

"I just do!"

"But nobody else does!"

"Goodbye..." he said, his blade aimed at Piper, being surprised by Aerrow kicking his blade away from Piper's direction.

"Hello!" Aerrow said.

Flame took the opportunity of her lover being distracted by Aerrow as a means to escape, jumping on to Aerrow's Skimmer.

"I just need to get back down to the ground, alright, Radarr? I'll send you back up after." she told the pet as she descended.

Once low enough, she told Radarr to let the Storm Hawks know she's safe and made her way over to her own Switchblade to leave Terra Rex.

"Flame! Wait!" she heard, stopping in her tracks and turning around to see Finn.

"Finn? Is something the matter?" she asked the teen.

"What going on?" he asked her, a suspicious tone in his voice.

"I'm going to my Switchblade to get the hell out of here. What are you doing?"

"You know what I'm talking about, lady." he said, not buying her fake ignorance, "How did the Dark Ace capture you if you're so fast and you're his equal?"

"I don't know, alright? When I woke up, I was gagged and chained." she lied.

"Oh..." he said, a look of thought in his eyes, "Okay!"

Flame rolled her eyes, continuing on to her Switchblade albeit entertained that the teen didn't even consider that her ride was there, meaning she arrived to Terra Rex conscious. _Use my wings. Like I need people to know about that...and why haven't I ever come across anyone else with them? Do they hide it as much as I do?_ she thought to herself as she mounted her black and purple Switchblade, revving the engine and taking off from Terra Rex, looking back at her lover battling Aerrow.

"This ride isn't big enough for two!" the Dark Ace told Aerrow, pulling out the Phoenix Crystal.

"I'd think twice about using that." Aerrow told him, but the Dark Ace didn't listen, attaching it to the hilt of his sword, the blade being engulfed by flames.

"Afraid of a little heat, are we?" he asked the teen, pointing his weapon at him.

"Me? No. But you should be." Aerrow told him, an entertained look on his face as that all too familiar screech sounded out.

The Dark Ace looked back to see the Phoenix come into view.

"Say 'hi' for me!" Aerrow told him before jumping off the Switchblade and landing on his own Skimmer.

The Dark Ace looked back at the Phoenix, wasting no time in taking off as quickly as possible, but he wasn't fast enough, "Get away from me!" he yelled at the bird, grabbing on to his ride's handle, only for his hand to be burnt from the intense heat from the Phoenix. He had no time and jumped off the Switchblade as it ignited, diving down, but the Phoenix pursued him.

He deployed his glider, the thrusters pushing him upward significantly. He looked back to see the Phoenix still after him. He detached the Phoenix Crystal from his blade, looking at it once more, "Ugh, fine! You want it? Go get it!" he told the fiery bird, tossing the crystal down. The Phoenix followed the crystal, snatching it up and returning to its nest.

In the end, the Rex Guardians were the ones to thank the Storm Hawks for their help, accepting even further help from them, considering that the Cyclonians were still on their way to attack.

* * *

 

_**Atmosia...** _

"You should have been more careful, Ace." Flame lectured him, carefully cleaning his burnt hand before wrapping it gently.

"I'm just glad you were able to save yourself before you got injured by that damned bird." he said, hissing in pain.

There was a moment of silence. She knew she had to speak to him about it, but she didn't know how to even bring it up. She felt like a freak and always hid them away. How did he know about them?

"There are two elongated bones that stick out under your shoulder blades." the Dark Ace spoke, "Something that humans don't have."

She looked up at him in surprise. How did he know that's what she wanted to talk about?

"They're very strong. I assume you're ashamed of them, since they're always covered by your cape and what would appear to be simple armour.

"I feel...like..." she started, sighing, "They make me feel like a freak, to be honest." she said, looking down to the ground, "I don't know anyone else that has them and I don't know how I got them. They were just...always there. I tried to hide them from you, but I knew you finding out was inevitable...I just didn't know you knew exactly what they were."

"Cyclonis might know their exact origin," he said, "I just know because she's spoken of them before."

"Cyclonis?"

"Nevermind her, Flame." he said, standing up and gently placing his hands on her hips, giving her a soft kiss, "Can I see them?" he asked.

"You want to see them?" she asked, unsure if he was being serious.

"Of course I do." he chuckled, "It's a part of you."

She gave it some thought before looking at him, "I can't do this here. We'll have to go outside...a cliff would be preferable."

"A cliff?" he asked, unsure as to why she couldn't just go outside of her home.

"Yes, a cliff." she smiled, wrapping her arms around him as he looked down into her eyes.

Nonetheless, it was what she wanted and he smiled, "Consider it done."

* * *

 

They found a somewhat deserted Terra with a rather large cliff on one end, Flame saying that it would suffice and he landed at the bottom of the cliff's hill.

They made their way to the top and she looked back at him, "Don't follow me or look over, okay?" she asked of him.

"But...why?" he asked.

"Just don't." she smiled, giving him a soft, sweet kiss before leaping back and off the cliff's edge.

The Dark Ace stood there, worry starting to take over him as he was counting the seconds in his mind. Just as he was about to move to look over the cliff, a large figure shot over him and he looked up to see Flame in the air. Feathers like a Raven and that familiar purple glow...the wingspan was extraordinary and her being illuminated by this light was mesmerizing.

"I told you not to look." she smiled at him, the wings flapping gently in the air.

"I don't make promises I can't keep." he smiled, impressed by the sight of her with wings.

"Care for a lift?" she asked him, gently lowering herself closer to the ground with her hand held out to him.

"Let's go home instead." he said.

"What's the matter, Ace? You know the feeling with your glider, don't you? It's actually slightly different with _real_ wings. You feel more free with them."

"They're absolutely beautiful, but I'll take you up on that offer another time."

"If you wish." she smiled.

The Dark Ace rubbed the back of his head, looking away from her for a moment, "It's said that there was another Heiress to Cyclonia, the older sister of Cyclonis, but she wouldn't grow up to rule Cyclonia. She holds great power, greater than Master Cyclonis herself because of her pure soul."

"I don't understand." she said, her wings retracting back into her body.

"I don't know very much other than what I've overheard, but if Cyclonis were to ever make an alliance with her sister, all of Atmos will see a chaos like none before. I think this is what she's after most."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, a look of confusion clear in her face, "I thought we had established that we weren't supposed to speak about Cyclonis' or the Storm Hawks' plans."

"Well, consider this an exception," he said, "It's important that you know."

Flame thought for a moment before looking at her lover again, "Well, then I'll do everything I can to make sure Cyclonis never makes an allegiance with her if it will end everything we know...I suppose it's just a matter of finding her."

He kissed her gently, wrapping his arms around her, "I know you will." he reassured her. He knew she still didn't fully understand what he was trying to say, but he didn't want to tell her any more than that. Her heart was so good and so pure, despite her little habits of teasing and taunting him, that if she knew the truth, it could destroy her. How could he explain to her that she was the older sister of her greatest enemy? In a way, he didn't really know what to consider them. They'd spoken many times when she visited Cyclonia and actually got along with the young Empress, despite being enemies.

He gave out a dark, menacing chuckle.

"What is it?" she asked him, looking into his eyes.

He cupped her face gently, giving her a soft kiss, "I'm in love with an Angel."


	4. The Knight of Xerxxes

Aerrow raced across the Saharr desert, avoiding small mountains that were randomly scattered across the Terra plain. Radarr looked back, giving out a sound of concern to his owner.

"I know, I know." Aerrow reassured his pet, speeding up as much as he could. The speedometer on his Skimmer started ticking, throttling back as the bike itself started to give out some smoke along with a few sparks. "Don't worry. Like I always say: it's the rider, not the ride." he reassured the creature with a smile, continuing on after bouncing off a pillar.

He looked back to see a group of riders behind him, "Here they come." he said, trying to stay ahead. "Come on, baby, come on!" he begged his Skimmer, but it was no use. The Skimmer gave out, sparking as it began to smoke up even more. He grabbed Radarr, abandoning the ride.

After hitting the ground, he looked up to see all the other riders stopping by him, one heavily built man approaching him, "If you wanna win the race tomorrow, get a better ride." the man said with an unusually high-pitched voice.

The other riders laughed at the teen before continuing on. Aerrow managed to get his Skimmer back to the camp for Stork to take a look at.

"So the other Sky Knights _totally_ blew past you in the practice run, big deal! The Storm Hawks _always_ win the Great Race!" Finn reassured Aerrow.

"Have I ever told you that you're completely idiotic?" Flame asked the blonde teen. Aerrow had asked her to tag along with them as she had mentioned that the last time she attended the Great Race was when she was around their age.

"Always what?" a tall, buff man asked Finn, "The race hasn't been run in ten years. I bet you new pups aren't half as good as the old Storm Hawks." he taunted Finn, crossing his arms with a smile.

" _Oh really?_ " Finn replied, Aerrow's hand being put in front of him and told to let it go.

"Don't bother, Aerrow. He never listens." Flame reminded the redhead.

Finn continued on, "I'd be willing to bet _anything_ on Aerrow."

"Really?" the man said, quite entertained now, "Then how 'bout this: if your boy doesn't leave Saharr wearing the Crystal Amulet, you wash our Carrier for a year." he suggested.

Piper laughed as she walked closer to the dirty airship, "Hah, a year of Finn doing all the cleaning?" she asked, looking at Flame, "That's gonna be one dirty Carrier!" she said, the two girls bursting out in laughter, which only agitated Finn further.

"You're on!" Finn said, closing the deal with the man.

Piper looked at Flame with some concern, but the lone Sky Knight didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

"Relax!" Finn said, "Aerrow's a Storm Hawk! There's _no_ way he can lose!"

* * *

 

Stork pulled up his protective and unnecessary welding helmet, "There's no way he can win." the Merb finalized.

"What do you mean?!" Finn asked.

"It's a simple matter of gimbal rotation in gyroscopic precession." Stork elaborated.

"Uh...once again, what do you mean?" Finn asked, being smacked over the head by Flame almost immediately afterward.

"Aerrow's ride isn't fast enough." Piper simplified.

"You know, I thought the 'dumb blonde' stereotype only pertained to females," Flame spoke, "You've proven me wrong on many occasions."

"Stop being a—"

"A what?" Flame asked the teen, leaning closer to him as if she were daring him to say it, causing him to stay silent.

A couple racers caught their attention as they took off for another practice run and Finn sighed, slumping a little.

"Hey, it's the rider, not the ride." Aerrow said, "I'll be fine with I got." he smiled.

"Easy for you to say! You lose, you'll just end up crashed somewhere in the desert. _Me?! I_ 'll be humiliated!" Finn said, holding his hand to his face as Aerrow's Skimmer suddenly fell apart.

"You already do that on a daily basis to yourself, Finn." Flame chuckled, walking out to visit the tavern. Finn followed her in.

"I'll have a glass of wine, Sauvignon, if you have it." she told the bartender.

Finn ordered his meal, but even though it was in front of him, his mind was stuck on the deal he so irrationally made earlier.

"You did it to yourself, Finn." Flame spoke, "Sometimes, you can't let your emotions get the best of you."

"Easy for you to say, Flame. You're a Sky Knight and was given the task of being the sole protector of Atmosia."

"That has nothing to do with having more control over your senseless decisions. You need to learn how to think more; process the possible pros and cons of a decision before you make it." she smiled, but it only caused the teen to sigh again.

"Cheer up, buddy!" Junko said, grabbing Finn's plate of food and gobbling it down.

Finn lifted his finger to order again, but his attention was drawn to the strongman he made a deal with earlier.

"I'd save your money," the man said, "'Cause you're gonna need it to buy yourself some soap and sponges when your boy loses!" he finished laughing along with his two friends.

Finn sarcastically mocked their laughter, "Laugh it up. You'll be singing a different tune when the race is over."

"Finn." Flame said, but he ignored her as usual. She questioned herself as to why she even bothered giving him advice just mere moments ago.

"Well, it might _sound_ different, because I'll be singin' it in my freshly cleaned Cruiser!" he said with a smile, walking away with his pals.

Finn sighed, grabbing the attention of the waiter, "Better make the next one a double." Finn said, his attention being quickly drawn to a coin being tossed onto the bar.

"Allow me," a mysterious man said with a smile, "I think you and I can help each other out." he said, stopping the coin from spinning on the wooden surface. Junko and Finn looked at each other before returning their eyes on the man, Flame staying silent.

* * *

 

"That's as fast as I can make it with what we have on hand." Stork said to Aerrow and Piper with a short, nervous chuckle, closing the hood of the Skimmer, "Now, if I just had a power amp." he spoke to himself, screaming in excitement when Junko placed just that on the Skimmer, the Merb hugging the piece of equipment.

"How did you..." Piper started, but was cut off.

"Easy!" Finn said, "Junko and I swapped our Crystal Converters for it.

Flame stepped in, looking at Piper and the two shook their heads before looking back at the blonde.

"Oh, I know that look. You're about to tell me this is a bad idea."

Piper and Aerrow had a shocked expression on their faces when Junko ripped out the machinery from his ride.

"Yeah, I know without the Crystal Converters, our rides are less than useless, but don't worry. I got it covered." he said, trying to reassure them, grabbing the amp from Stork—to the Merb's dismay, "This amp will make Aerrow the fastest racer out there, so I'll get our Converters back from that Purple Knight of Xerxxes...and _more_ when Aerrow wins!" he said confidently.

"You traded with the Knight of Xerxxes?" Piper asked him, a look of concern on her face.

"Brilliant, huh?"

"It seems more like...cheating." Aerrow said.

"That's because it _is_ cheating." Flame confirmed, "I won't take part in this and don't you _dare_ touch my Switchblade."

"I know what will make you feel better about this whole thing," Finn said to Aerrow as the teen seemed a bit hesitant about the idea of cheating to win, "A test drive." he suggested, holding his hands out as if he were holding a wheel.

"Don't you think it would be better to keep this more secret rather than displaying it for everyone to see?" Flame asked.

"Relax, babe!" Finn said, "You don't always have to be stuck up and worried."

Flame smacked the teen, "I am _not_ stuck up! I just don't have my head so far up my own ass that it prevents me from thinking clearly!"

Aerrow smiled, placing a hand on Flame's shoulder, "It's alright, Flame. I won't be too long." he reassured her, only for her to put her hand over her face and shake her head in disapproval.

* * *

 

Upon his return, Aerrow had an accomplished look on his face, feeling pretty great about his ride despite nearly crashing into a pillar, finally meeting an acceptable speed without becoming too unstable, "Did you see _that?!_ " he asked Piper and Finn.

"Yup." Finn said, pointing his hand out, "And so did they."

"Everyone in Tent City's amped their rides for speed." Stork said in a discontented tone.

"Alright, maybe you were right about keeping it a secret, Flame." Aerrow said, turning to see that the Sky Knight was nowhere to be found, "Flame? Where did she go?" the redhead asked.

"She said she was going for a walk after you started your test drive." Stork said.

"So much for Finn's 'brilliant' plan." Piper said, looking at him.

"Ugh, we'd have to trade everything we've got just to keep up..." the blonde said, becoming depressed once again.

Aerrow put his hand on Finn's back, "Then we better get started." he said with a smile, the two moving to do just that, "After we find Flame."

The Knight of Xerxxes stepped out of his tent, looking around at everyone fixing their rides and causing a smile to form on his face.

"I see you've been helping the other riders out with their Skimmers." Flame said, drawing the man's attention immediately.

"I did what I could." the mysterious man said, walking up to her, "it will make the race tomorrow much more... _fun_."

"Is that so?" she asked and he nodded in agreement, "you sound like a very adventurous man. I like that."

"Do you, now?" the man asked, looking at her closely as he stood in front of her, clearing his throat and pressing his hand against the stone wall behind her, "would you happen to be available? I assure you that I can take you on adventures that nobody else could."

"I'm sure you can." She said in a rather flirtatious tone, dismissing his question of her availability.

"Perhaps we can speak about this over a drink?" he suggested, "You look like a woman who likes a nice glass of wine." he 'guessed'.

"I'm actually unable to drink at the moment, but I've no qualms with keeping your company." she replied.

"Is there any particular reason you can't drink?" he asked. He could have sworn he saw her earlier with a glass of wine in the tavern.

She gave out a light laugh, "Well, you see...I'm pregnant." she explained.

" _YOU'RE WHAT?!_ " the man spoke, his disguised voice dropping instantly and Flame couldn't stop herself from laughing for a few moments, wiping a couple tears away.

"I was honestly just seeing how long you were going to keep the charade up, but _that_ was just icing on the cake! I truly am your weakness, aren't I?"

"That isn't funny, Flame." the Dark Ace said, frowning.

"Don't be upset, darling." she said, her laughter fading gradually, "I knew you were up to something. I was just having a little fun is all. You must know that I can spot you a mile away by now."

"Well since nobody else is here," he spoke, pressing his lips against her neck softly, locking his fingers with hers against the wall, "maybe we can take this to my tent." he suggested, his hot breath enticing every cell in her body.

"I think that is a wonderful idea." she smiled, biting her lip. They hadn't seen each other in quite some time, the Dark Ace having a lot of work to do and now Flame knew what the work involved. Regardless of what he was up to, she was just happy to see him again, to feel his lips against her skin once more.

"Flame?" they both heard, her name being dragged out.

"Damn it!" She said, not bothering to move her lover away. In fact, he continued kissing her neck, his free hand moving down the side of her body, his touch alone exciting her even more.

The voice got closer, "Fla—" the person calling out for her stopped and the two looked over to see the blonde marksman. "What are you doing to her?" Finn asked the Knight, an unimpressed look on his face.

"Nothing she clearly doesn't want." he spoke back, disguising his voice once again.

"Uh-huh...then why isn't she talking?" the teen asked, thinking he was being smart.

"You kids have fun with Aerrow's Skimmer, alright, Finn? I'm going to be unavailable for the rest of the night." she spoke as she looked into the Dark Ace's eyes, her voice sounding very different from what Finn was used to hearing. It was filled with want and desire, to her lover's enjoyment.

"...okay...I'm just going to...uh..." Finn spoke before quickly disappearing without bothering to finish his sentence.

"That should keep him away for a good while." she said, placing her hand on her lover's shoulder.

"Definitely," the Dark Ace agreed, "But just to be clear...you really _aren't_ pregnant, right?" he asked in a concerned tone.

Flame laughed, "No! I have a...device that prevents it. You've nothing to worry about, my love."

"A device?" he asked, removing his helmet as he walked into his personal tent.

"An anti-insemination device." she elaborated to him, following him inside.

"Good." he said, turning her around and holding her hands together, pressing his lips against her neck again.

She hummed as she felt his hot breath on her skin once again, fighting against him for her hands to be released, but he held on tighter. She knew he was strong, but didn't realize how easily she could have actually been captured by him with a minimal chance of escaping.

"So, is this how it's going to be?" she asked him, a smile forming across her lips as she bit them.

"Only for a moment," he said, "I still have to get you out of those clothes." he replied, moving his free hand to unzip her skin-tight suit.

She turned around, pressing her lips against his as he removed her cape, placing it on a small crate before continuing to get her out of her suit while she worked on removing his armour. Once his armour was removed, he took off the rest of his suit on his own before continuing to remove her clothing, kissing down her body as he went. All that was left was her lingerie, which he quickly did away with the silky undergarments before holding her down once again, bringing her to her knees and bending her over on the makeshift bed.

"I thought you said that was only for a moment." she reminded him, not really complaining about his actions.

He leaned in closer to her, his lips against her ear as he put the lantern out, "I lied." his tantalizing voice whispered into her ear as he slid into her.

"Oh, God..." she moaned out, causing him to place his hand over her mouth.

"Nobody needs to know what's going on." he told her without stopping his motions. She could feel the menacing smile that was spread across his lips despite not being able to move and see it for herself. There was a square hole in the top of the tent, being the only light that they had.

He eventually let go of her hands to grip her hips as he began thrusting into her harder. The heat from the desert didn't help with the heat emanating from them and it didn't take long for both of them to become sweaty. She twisted herself slightly to look into his eyes, placing a hand on his.

"You are so beautiful." he told her, biting his lip as he continued, "I want you to do something for me."

"What more could I do for you?" she asked, considering the position he already had her in.

He slowed down and leaned in closer, kissing her deeply as he gently took a hold of her free hand, placing her fingers on her clitoris, "Play with yourself, Flame." he ordered, an evil grin forming across his face.

"I can't say that's something I've really done before, Ace." she whispered out, inhaling a sharp breath as his hand moved her fingers in circles over the swollen and extremely sensitive area.

"Like that." he told her, moving his hand away and she continued to do as shown. She bit her lip, gasping every now and then from the sensation while he continued his movements, "And remember to be quiet." he said, an evil yet tantalizing chuckle escaping his lips.

"You're setting me up for something that seems very impossible right now." she told him, eyes remaining on his.

He smiled wickedly as he forced himself into her harshly, "I know."

"Why are you so evil?" she asked him, tangling her fingers with his.

He leaned in once again, "It doesn't matter why I'm evil. You never stopped loving me regardless of the fact." he smiled, kissing her passionately.

She knew what he was referring to and there was no point in denying it when he had her bent over with himself buried deep inside of her, "You're right, Ace...I never stopped loving you." she smiled, biting her lip.

* * *

 

_**The Next Day...** _

"So what are you going to tell them?" the Dark Ace asked her as they put their clothes back on.

She giggled, "That I found the Knight of Xerxxes rather alluring, I suppose. It's not really their business."

"Just don't give me away." he told her, being reminded that the only person that knew about them was her best friend, Starling, whom she had sworn to secrecy about the ordeal.

"Be safe, please." she told him, looking into his eyes, "I have plans for the future that I don't need you ruining once again." she smiled.

"Don't worry about me, Angel." he told her, causing her to roll her eyes at the nickname he'd given her since she'd shown him her wings. She gave him a kiss on his jawline before leaving the tent to return to her friends.

Flame was impressed at what Stork had managed to do with Aerrow's Skimmer, regardless of knowing that it rendered all other rides, except hers, and the Condor useless.

"Kick ass, Aerrow. I know you have it in you." she told the teen, giving him a kiss on the forehead and ruffling his hair.

The Purple Knight of Xerxxes pointed out that she left lipstick on his head and Aerrow quickly rubbed it off.

She approached her lover in disguise, giggling as he held her hand and gave it a gentle kiss on the top. She placed her hand softly on the side of his neck, leaning in to whisper something that nobody else but him could hear, "Maybe if you win, I'll give you the answer to that question you've been asking me constantly." she told him, "But if Aerrow gets hurt...there will be consequences."

"We'll see how it goes." he replied, smiling that same evil grin as always before she walked away to join Junko, Finn and Stork.

"Great job with the Skimmer, Stork." she complimented the Merb.

"It's no big deal." he replied with a nervous laugh.

"All of you represent the best Sky Knights in the Southern skies!" the Starter began his announcement, "The first to grab the Crystal Amulet at the end wins. No weapons. No flying." he spoke, holding up a picture of the Amulet to give everyone an idea of what they were looking for.

Aerrow wondered why Piper wasn't in the crowd with the rest of them. He tried hailing out to Finn, but the engines of all the racing Skimmers were too loud for his words to reach the boy's ears. He guessed that she was okay. There wasn't really anything that he could do about it at that point, anyway.

"Now we're gonna see who's the best of the best of the best!" he said, moving to the side, "On your mark, get set—" he began, being cut off by one of the rider's Skimmer losing control and went blasting off, instantly disqualifying them. The Starter waited a second before shrugging, "Okay...go!" he called out, blaring the horn that officially started the race.

Aerrow and another racer were pretty close to first place, but the Knight of Xerxxes just seemed to have so much more speed than they did despite all of their efforts to modify their Skimmers for the race. One of the racers wasn't paying attention and fell off of his ride, his Skimmer breaking as he rolled down the cliff side while the rest continued on.

Aerrow was second place to the Knight of Xerxxes, maneuvering rather well around corners, were another racer had crashed.

"I thought all of you were supposed to be good!" the mysterious Sky Knight turned around to taunt the others, causing Aerrow to speed up more. They entered the tunnels, where Aerrow managed to get almost side-to-side with the Knight, "Do you think you have what it takes?" he asked the Storm Hawk.

"Try me!" Aerrow said, the Knight of Xerxxes responding by side swiping his Skimmer, causing the teen to fall back. The racer in third place looked back with a smile as Aerrow fell behind him, only to turn back around and collide with a pillar in the tunnel. Aerrow passed the crashed Skimmer, looking back for a moment and feeling rather bad for him, but continued on. There were only four competitors left.

The announcer spoke of the current status of the racers and in the process, Finn made another dumb bet with the same strongman.

"Okay, Piper, tell me how dumb that was." he said, turning around only to see that his friend wasn't there. "Wait...where's Piper?" he asked Stork, who held his arms out to explain his uncertainty.

"Shit." Flame said, grabbing Stork's attention, "I-I forgot where I parked my Switchblade." she said, walking off. She had to start being more careful about speaking aloud around the Merb.

Another racer had managed to catch up to the Knight of Xerxxes, but that didn't last long as he pulled out his signature double-bladed sword, slicing off a part of the racer's Skimmer and causing him to crash into an unstable pillar that collapsed almost immediately.

Aerrow sped up to the Knight, avoiding the pillar taking him out of the race, "I guess you forgot," the teen began, "Sky Knights don't cheat!"

The Knight looked over at him before pulling back, only to appear on the other side, "Good for you, Aerrow," the mysterious racer said, pulling off his helmet, "But I'm not a Sky Knight!"

Aerrow had a look of shock before it quickly turned to one of anger, "Dark Ace!" the teen said, noticing something very familiar to the teen. There was a lipstick mark on his jawline and there was only one person who had that colour, "What have you done to Flame?!" he asked the man as he dodged the Dark Ace's attacks.

"You have _no_ idea." he said, an evil grin appearing across his lips before he held out his blade, the weapon easily slicing through a pillar and almost collapsing on Aerrow.

The teen stopped for a second, "The Dark Ace must be after the Crystal Amulet and we're the only ones who can stop him!" he told Radarr, who pressed the accelerator on the Skimmer. Quickly, they caught up with the Dark Ace again, bumping into the Dark Ace's ride to try and get ahead, but still ended up side by side with him, only to have small energy whips sent his way by the Cyclonian. It caused him to spin around for a moment, but that didn't stop the adamant teen from doing the best he could to stop the Dark Ace from getting the Amulet.

The Dark Ace turned around, a look of annoyance forming across his face as the teen momentarily abandoned his ride in an attempt to attack the Cyclonian Commander. Not one to just take punches, the Dark Ace sprung into action, holding his fist out just as Aerrow's was in an attempt to possibly knock him out when out of nowhere, a chicken hit him right in the face.

Aerrow landed on the Dark Ace's back as a means to jump back on to his own ride while Radarr threw another chicken at the man, the creature sticking its tongue out before Aerrow sped off.

The Dark Ace frowned for a moment before he revved his engine, easily and quickly passing Aerrow. The teen hit the accelerator once more and that brought him up to speed, hitting the same ramp as the Cyclonian, both of them holding a hand out for the Amulet, but at the last second, the Dark Ace concentrated more on stopping and Aerrow grabbed the Crystal Amulet, not noticing anything.

Aerrow cheered, giving the Amulet a kiss in his moment of victory, which was quickly taken away by the Dark Ace's menacing laugh.

"You thought that's what this was about? A little trinket?" he asked the teen, an entertained smile on his face.

Aerrow fell silent for a second, "Uh...yeah?"

The Dark Ace put his hand on the hilt of his sword as he began to speak, "Think. The racing Skimmers have crashed and all the other fighters on Saharr have been cannibalized for parts." he hinted off to Aerrow.

The teen went wide-eyed, "Which means we're all sitting ducks!"

"Very good." the Cyclonian sarcastically praised the redhead, pulling out his sword, "And as I bury you in the sand here," he continued, mounting a Crystal into his blade, the weapon firing up with a green light, "My Talons are doing the same to your friends in the camp. Though, Flame will be spared. She deserves it after the little treat she gave me last night." he finished with a menacing smile across his lips, throwing a bolt toward Aerrow, who ducked out of instinct, though it became very clear that he wasn't the target. "Hope you like the storm." the Dark Ace said as he removed the Crystal and tossing it in the air for a moment, "A little present from Master Cyclonis. Goodbye, Aerrow." he said, giving out an ominous laugh as the teen's eyes were fixed on the dust devil as he took off.

Aerrow tried to outrun the storm, but was quickly sucked into its powerful winds.

The Dark Ace stopped to ensure that the teen didn't outrun the attack, giving out another laugh as he pressed a button, sending out a signal to his Talons.

Piper, who had been captured by the Talons when she accidentally dropped a part that rolled into the Purple Knight's tent, managed to undo her bound hands. She ran out after the Talons had taken off, "It's the Cyclonians! Get to your fighters!"

Stork, who had hit his head during his attempt to dodge the Cyclonian fighters looked at Piper, "Uh...what fighters?" he asked her, reminding her that all of the fighters were rendered useless in everyone's attempt to make their racers the best.

Finn used his Crossbow to try and take down a Talon or two, but didn't aim just right while Junko managed to pick up a Canon and sent a missile into one of the Talons' rides. The Dark Ace, now in his usual Cyclonian uniform, appeared with a number of Talons, "Time to put a dent in the Sky Knight population." he said with a smile, attacking the running Piper, who managed to dodge every energy whip. Sky Knights were now scattering all around to dodge the continuous attacks on the camp.

"I swear, if Aerrow is hurt..." Flame spoke to herself as the mounted her Switchblade, dropping out of the Terra and into the clouds.

* * *

 

Aerrow, still stuck in the seemingly undying dust devil, lost his engines when Radarr attempted to accelerate them out of the whirlwind. He came a sudden realization of how to get out of it and don't his co-pilot to not fight the storm and the creature turned off the engines. As they continued to spin in circles, Aerrow finally pushed the throttle and freed them from the dust devil, cheering as he made his way back to camp.

Back at the camp, Piper was loading missiles into the canon Junko was holding, though they were running out of ammunition. Their attention was drawn to two Sky Knights fighting over a piece of metal.

"Guys, guys! Bragging rights aren't gonna help us beat the Talons." Finn said as he walked up to another pair fighting over something, "If we don't put pride aside and help each other, we're toast!"

"Aren't you the guy who tricked me into trading my engine for some rusty pipes?" one of the Sky Knights said.

Finn let out a nervous chuckle, not knowing what to say.

"I have an idea, but I need your help." Piper spoke up, grabbing their attention. They co-operated as Piper ordered them to, Stork working as hard as he could while Piper ensured everything stayed in a steady motion. Stork would leave every now and then to pick up smaller parts in a box, running away upon seeing the Dark Ace and his Talons heading straight for him, but their attention was drawn away by Aerrow's sudden appearance, a confused expression forming across the Dark Ace's face.

Aerrow headed straight for them, ripping two Talons away from their rides and dumping them on the top of a clothed shelter. After ensuring that Stork made it to his destination safely, he headed straight for the Dark Ace.

The Dark Ace looked back, "You! But..."

Aerrow looked at him with pride, "Next time you try to finish off a Storm Hawk, might want to try something different than a storm!" he informed the Cyclonian Commander, his co-pilot growling viciously to back his owner up.

The Dark Ace grimaced, pulling back to get behind Aerrow and sent a powerful energy whip toward the teen, but the readhead easily dodged it and the attack ended up hitting one of the Commander's own Talons.

"Form up around me!" the Dark Ace ordered his Talons, who did as told, a giant, menacing grin forming across his face as he targeted the Storm Hawk, following him as he passed the tent that Stork and the others were hiding in, which lifted off of the ground shortly after Aerrow passed by. Certain of his approaching victory, the Dark Ace began to ask Aerrow if he had any last words, but his attention was drawn to the flying tent behind him.

It was now Aerrow's turn to smile as the cover came off, revealing a giant makeup of canons and engines.

" _What is that thing?!_ " the Dark Ace asked aloud.

"I'd say it's the cavalry." Aerrow answered him.

The canons began to blast Talons out of the sky, the Dark Ace quickly maneuvering to get as high as he possibly could and out of the makeshift battleship's wake, but didn't have enough speed to achieve such as Piper threw a blast toward the Cyclonian, blowing out his engines and he began to fall toward the Wastelands.

Everyone began to cheer as the rest of the Talon fleet fell back, making their way back to the camp on Saharr.

Once low enough, the Dark Ace deployed his glider, hoping he'd have enough fuel in his thrusters to make it back to Cyclonia.

"You really are evil." he heard, looking to see his lover flying on her Switchblade by his side. She gestured for him to hop on to her Switchblade and he did so, "You're also a complete jackass." she added.

He rolled his eyes, "And what is _your_ plan, exactly?"

"I'm taking you back to Cyclonia before I return to Saharr." she stated simply.

He laughed out, "Do tell, how do you plan to make such a trip without your friends noticing you've been gone for an extended amount of time?" he asked quizzically.

She chuckled as she pulled a rather small Crystal out of her Switchblade's compartment. The Crystal was so small that it seemed like it wouldn't do very much, "You say that as if I'd be gone for that long." she smiled as she popped the object into her Crystal Converter, the speed in which they arrived to Cyclonia being a shocking half an hour.

"What the hell is that?" the Dark Ace asked her, never seeing such speed before.

She smiled, "That, my love, is a secret." she winked, giving him a soft, yet extremely arousing, kiss before putting another one of the tiny Crystals into the Converter and taking off so quickly that all the Dark Ace had time to do was blink before she was completely out of sight.

* * *

 

_**Terra Saharr...** _

Everyone cheered as the captured Talons were hauled off to Terra Atmosia Prison, Finn being extremely excited that he didn't have to clean up the Race Official's Cruiser.

"That's right," Aerrow said, " _We_ did."

"See!" Finn told the Official, "I told you, my boy's the man!" his excitement quickly faded as Aerrow threw the Amulet into the air, sending a small energy whip behind it and breaking it into pieces.

"No single Sky Knight won today's victory," Aerrow explained, "I say we're _all_ the best of the best!" he finalized, everybody cheering with a fist in the air.

In the end, Finn agreed to stick with the bet he'd made with the Race Official, causing everyone to laugh.

"You did very well today, Aerrow," Flame spoke as she strutted toward the boy through the crowd, "I'm very proud of you." she smiled, ruffling his hair.

"Uh...yeah." he said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as he remembered what the Dark Ace had said during the race, "Thanks."

It took a couple of days for everyone to take apart the pieces to put their own Carriers back in order, but they did so successfully and peacefully.

Flame knew that something was on Aerrow's mind, but figured that he was going to wait for a more private time to bring it up. She could only hope it didn't have to do with the Dark Ace, yet she somehow knew better than that.

Once the Condor was securely fixed, they took off from Saharr, Flame tagging along with them for the sake of having to answer any questions that the redhead had for her.

* * *

 

"How many shades of lipstick do you wear?" Aerrow asked her in the kitchen while she made breakfast for the teens. Finn, Radarr and Piper were present, since Stork and Junko had their own ideas of what _food_ was.

"Just the one that I make from a Crystal," she began, "Though I have different types of them, it's only one shade."

"What do you mean three types?" Piper asked, even though she wasn't sure why Aerrow was asking about her lipstick.

"I have one that's glossy—which I'm wearing now, one that's matte, and one that looks sort of glossy, but stays on without leaving any marks until I take it off with oil." she explained.

"So I assume you weren't wearing the one that leaves no trace when you spent the night with the Dark Ace back on Saharr." Aerrow stated bluntly, causing Piper and Finn to gasp in shock.

"Excuse me?" she asked, turning around to look at the teen.

"He took his helmet off during the race and I saw _your_ lipstick on his jaw."

 _That idiot..._ she thought to herself, "I spent the night with the Knight of Xerxxes, Aerrow, _not_ the Dark Ace."

"But you knew it was the Dark Ace!" he accused her.

"Did you?" Finn asked, "I mean...I _did_ see him smooching on you in the alleyway."

"It was dark in his tent. I didn't know it was the Dark Ace! Do you _really_ think I would sleep with that bastard after what he did?!" she blurted out. She didn't actually realize that she still held a grudge against her lover for what he'd done in the past.

"What did he do?" Aerrow asked with a look of confusion.

Flame sighed, "That is a question to be answered another day. The bottom line is: I didn't know I was sleeping with the Dark Ace on Saharr."

"Well, he didn't sound like the Dark Ace, either." Finn remembered.

"No, he didn't..." Flame said as she plated their food and handed it to them.

She could see in Aerrow's eyes that he knew she was hiding something and, in a way, she confirmed it with her own when she looked at him. She chuckled a bit to change the mood.

"What's so funny?" Aerrow asked.

"I have to say, I'm impressed." she stated.

"Impressed by what?" Piper asked.

She turned around and looked at the three teens with a rather menacing smirk across her lips, "The Dark Ace isn't just _extremely_ talented with his Switchblade and sword. I've never experienced so much pleasure with someone as much as I did with him on Saharr."

"Ugh!" "Ew!" "No!" the three blurted out and she started laughing, "That ought to teach you bloody kids not to ask questions you don't want an answer to." she laughed, giving Aerrow a kiss on the forehead as usual, leaving a glossy and sticky mark on the teen.

"Flame!" Aerrow whined and she laughed, waving goodbye to them as she headed for the hangar.

_Now, to deal with this idiot..._

* * *

 

_**Cyclonia...** _

"Flame," Cyclonis spoke, "How nice of you to visit again." the Empress greeted the Sky Knight.

"Cyclonis," Flame said with a smile, "Are you taking good care of yourself?" she asked the young woman.

"I am. Thank you for returning my Commanding Talon to me safely." she thanked her.

Flame nodded, "Of course. I couldn't rest easy if I didn't know he was safe."

"I do believe he's in his quarters right now." Cyclonis informed the woman, receiving a 'thank you' before continuing on with whatever scheme she was coming up with next.

Flame made her way over, using her speed when nobody was looking to avoid the sound of her heeled boots echoing through the hallway. She punched in the code to his room, the door sliding open as she stepped in and stood there, a hand on her hip as she posed.

"Flame." he spoke, getting up immediately and making his way over to her, placing his hand on her waist and the other on her cheek, as always, and kissing her deeply. "I didn't know you were visiting."

"I like to surprise every now and then." she stated in a sultry tone.

He smiled, taking her hand and leading her to the bed, but she stopped him for a moment, "Is something the matter?" he asked her.

"Not exactly," she said, but he knew her well enough that the tone in her voice spoke for itself, "I have a question, out of curiosity."

"Alright."

"How often do you look in a mirror?" she asked, grabbing his face and turning his head for him to look at the mirror mounted to his wall.

He saw the lipstick on his face from the kiss he'd just given her, wiping it away, "I assume the answer you're looking for is 'not enough'?" he asked back.

"You're bloody right that's the answer I'm looking for," she said, "What did you tell Aerrow back on Saharr?!" she asked, the same, sinister tone that Cyclonis tended to get when she became angry voicing through to her lover.

His eyes widened slightly, knowing full well that she really was Cyclonis' half-sister but not expecting her to carry that same trait. Despite this, he answered her, "Nothing that you couldn't get yourself out of if they asked questions."

"Oh? You think this is funny, do you?" she asked him, her voice returning to normal.

"Flame, the look on the kid's face was priceless," he explained, "I had to play a little mind game with him."

"They're questioning me, now. I had to explain that I didn't know it was you because there was no light and you didn't sound like _you_." she said.

There was a moment of silence before a rather amused smile formed across her lips.

"What?"

"I played a little trick on them as well," she admitted, sitting on her lover's bed. A delighted smirk formed across his lips as he made his way over and sat next to her, waiting to hear what she'd done, "I told them you aren't just extremely talented with your sword and ride and that I'd never experienced so much pleasure with anyone before the way I did with you that night." she explained and the two burst out in laughter as she mocked their reactions back to the Dark Ace.

"Speaking of pleasure," the Dark Ace said, "Will you answer my question yet?" he asked.

She leaned closer to him, kissing his neck up to his ear before reminding him that he didn't win the race; which he'd completely forgotten about in his mission to crash the Skimmers.

"What will it take for you to tell me?" he asked her.

"What will it take for you to realize how simple the answer is?" she asked him, pushing him down onto the bed and getting on top of him, unzipping her uniform with a desirous smile forming across her lips.

He bit his lip as he watched her bra come into view, forgetting about the question and taking the liberty of his hands exploring the body he knew all too well.

* * *

 

_**The Next Day...** _

"Are you staying in bed for a bit longer?" he asked her, kissing her neck softly.

She hummed in response, "Perhaps just a little longer." she smiled.

He moved her head gently to look at him, kissing her. She wiped his lips, taking off the lipstick that had remained. He smiled before standing up and leaving the room.

She turned slightly to look at the clock, unable to hold back a devious smile.

The Dark Ace found it rather strange that the Talons were looking at him oddly, but he thought nothing of it. He wiped his lips again, just in case she'd missed a spot.

"Good morning, Master Cyclonis." he spoke to the Empress, giving the usual 'Talon Bow'.

"Dark Ace," she spoke, a rather entertained smile coming into sight.

"You're in a good mood, today. Have you devised a new plan?" he asked.

She giggled, "I'm still working on it, but I see you and Flame had a rather good time together." she stated.

"Pardon me, Your Highness?" he asked, not following with what she was trying to say.

"Did you not realize that you're covered in lipstick marks, Dark Ace?" she asked, giggling a bit more.

His eyes widened, looking in a reflective surface. Flame had left lipstick marks from his neck all the way up to his cheek. "I apologize, Master. It won't happen again." he said, clearly embarrassed.

The young woman said nothing, but giggled more as she moved her attention to her machine.

The Dark Ace swiftly made his way back to his quarters, walking right up to Flame, "Give me the lipstick." he ordered her.

"What?"

He grimaced slightly, as he knew she was playing dumb, "Give me the damn lipstick, Flame!"

"Oh, my...you're _covered_ in lipstick marks!" she smiled rather evilly, handing over the matte lipstick to her lover. She had planned to only wear the one that left no trace anyway, but just wanted to get a little payback for her having to explain herself to her young friends due to his lack of being more careful with their secret relationship. She pulled the glossy lipstick out of her pouch, handing it to the man as well, "You might want to take care of those marks as well, darling."

"I'm starting to think you're more evil than good." he frowned, only to hear her giggle just like Cyclonis had mere minutes ago.


	5. Dancing With The Devil

"Terra Tropica?" Flame repeated, arms crossed over each other, "At a time like this?"

"What's the problem with that? You've picked up and went with me there before; and if my memory serves me correctly, you rather enjoyed it." the Dark Ace reminded her with a menacing smirk to accompany the sensual tone in his voice.

* * *

 

_**Flashback...** _

_Flame stirred from her sleep and he wondered if she would have the same reaction that she had the previous morning back in Atmosia._

_"Good Morning." he told her, captivated by her bright, ice-blue eyes when she looked up at him. She blinked, looking into his red ones before a subtle smile formed across her lips,_

_"Morning." she replied, her arm slinging over his body as she made herself more comfortable against him._

_Did she just accept that they were sharing a bed? He lightly lifted her chin up, kissing her and she kissed him back, her eyes opening after their lips parted, "So if I ask, will you deny me again?"_

_"Perhaps." she answered, not bothering to move very much as their eyes remained locked on each other._

_"Well, I'm honestly surprised that you've accepted sharing a bed with me, so I had to try once more."_

_"Physical intimacy is not going to win me over, if that's what you're thinking." she told him, still looking at him, "Give this time and don't ruin the moment, Ace. Live in it."_

* * *

 

He really had to bring that up. That man knew when to use the past against people, especially her.

"If you don't see any issues with it and you're acting as if it's dire that we go, I suppose there's no harm in a lovely weekend together." she smiled, "I'll pack my bag."

He smiled and made himself comfortable on the sofa while she gathered her necessary items. It wasn't long before she was ready to go and they wasted no time in taking off for the beautiful island.

"We just have to make one stop before we can proceed to Tropica." the Dark Ace informed his lover.

She stared at him, "You know, I'd greatly appreciate you not waiting for the last second to make these change of plans, or spring vacations on me as you so tend to do."

* * *

 

_**On The Condor...** _

"We're talking a _major_ problem!" Finn grimaced.

"There's no way we can deal with _this_!" Piper chimed in.

"We've been through worse." Aerrow reassured the team, getting an unimpressed glare from Stork, "Hmm, well...maybe not."

"I think we'll be using the words, 'terror', 'disaster' and 'ruin' very soon." the Merb voiced.

"But guys!" Junko began, "It's only for a few hours! Really, come on! A little baby Wallop: how bad can that be?"

The others looked at each other with pure uncertainty as the baby opened his eyes, reaching out to the others excitedly.

"My second nephew's third uncle's first cousin needed my help and when a Wallop asks you to look after their young, it's a mark of real honour and trust!" Junko explained, the rest of the crew having a confused expression on their faces, processing the relation between the baby Wallop and their teammate.

"Also known as 'can't find a real babysitter'." Finn spoke, proud of his smart remark. He was glad that Flame wasn't aboard the Condor, knowing that she'd probably challenge him to watch the baby himself.

"Tinky's too little to cause any trouble." Junko reasoned with them.

"Junko, it's cool that you want to help your...second cousin's...uncle's...neighbor's...whatever." Aerrow accepted.

"But while you were out collecting babies," Piper spoke, "We collected a mission!"

"Snipe's nearly finished building this battle airship and once it's operational, he'll totally dominate the quadrant." Aerrow elaborated.

"So we gotta find it and _not_ let that happen!" the girl finalized.

"Don't worry," Junko reassured them, "A baby Wallop almost takes care of itself. Tinky's so quiet, you won't even know he's here!" the teen Wallop explained, handing the baby a bottle.

Tinky drank his meal, the burp following after so strong that it blasted him onto the table behind Piper. Junko gave out a nervous laugh while Piper looked at him in disappointment, her eyes widening as she heard a loud, tearing sound behind her, looking to see that Tinky tore off a part of the Battleship's map and shoved it in his mouth.

She gasped in horror, her hands cupping her face, "He just ate _five_ sections of the Battleship!" she exclaimed, stifling her scream.

Finn covered his mouth, holding back a laugh while Junko, once again, laughed nervously.

"Baby Wallops do have strong appetites." Junko reasoned, Tinky giggling while rocking back and forth, holding his feet.

Piper, with her hands still on both of her cheeks, growled, but her expression changed from one of anger to adoration, "How can you get mad at a face like that?"

"Radarr," Aerrow called to his pet's attention, "Help Junko find something more... _nutritional_ for this kid to eat." he ordered.

Radarr agreed, picking up a wrench and showing it to his owner with an accomplished smile on his face, the tool being taken out of his hand by Junko with disapproval, ushering the creature into the kitchen. Junko threw in a few fruit into the blender, Radarr watching his every move while the indredients began liquifying in the machine before his attention was turned to Tinky, who was causing a commotion with his toy blocks.

"A baby Wallop will eat just about anything," Junko informed the creature, "But it never cries for food, it giggles." he finished, letting out a small giggle and Tinky did as well.

Radarr turned around to see the baby Wallop crawling straight toward him, fear taking over the creature. He ran to the wall, hyperventilating as the baby continued his movements, grabbing on to poor Radarr and being squeezed tightly in a hug before Tinky dragged him off.

"Chow time, Tinky!" Junko announced, giving the baby the bottle. Radarr ran away as soon as the baby's grip was eased and he hid behind Junko, growling at the tiny Wallop.

Tinky tasted his meal, seeming to contemplate the flavour before blowing into the bottle, making the other end explode all over Junko and Radarr.

* * *

 

Soon enough, it was time for Tinky to take a bath. Junko placed the baby Wallop in the water, who excitedly splashed around before a look of sadness spread across the little one's face as his rubber duck disappeared, becoming happy once again when the toy emerged from the water.

Tinky suddenly dived down into the bathtub, Radarr instantly panicking and looking over before he popped back out of the water.

"Baby Wallops are known for their playful curiosity!" Junko said enthusiastically, watching as Tinky took a hold of the pipeline for the tub, beginning to pull it out of place, "And their healthy grip..."

The entire ship creaked, catching everyone's attention, especially Stork. The teens looked around before their attention turned back to the center table in the Condor.

"My diorama of Snipe's airship _clearly_ shows an area of weakness at the engine room." Piper began.

"Sweet." Finn smiled, moving to touch a part of the model only to have his hand slapped away by Piper, being told that it wasn't dry just yet.

The creaking continued before the pipeline above them burst, soaking the room and Piper's hard work.

The door opened, Radarr running in, followed by Junko with Tinky in his arms, "Oh, just a little trouble with bath time, no biggie!" Junko reassured everyone, who all had an unimpressed expression on their faces, "Here, hold Tinky." Junko told Finn, handing the blonde teen the troublesome little Wallop.

He looked at Tinky, unable to get caught up in his adorable face and began waving his hand in the baby Wallop's face to entertain him, Tinky grabbing his finger and squeezing it as Finn let out a scream of pain, his finger instantly swelling and throbbing. Finn put Tinky down and moved on to help fix the Condor with the rest of the team.

Piper's attention was drawn away from what she was doing when the sound of something falling, turning to see her model of Snipe's airship collapsed on the table, the object splitting in half while Tinky crawled away to cause some next form of trouble for the crew.

"Where is Flame?!" Piper exclaimed, "We need Flame to deal with Tinky! I can't take it anymore!" she become more and more frustrated, sliding the Battleship model in front of junko to show him the damage caused by Tinky.

Suddenly, everyone began to slide, the Condor tilting completely, resulting in the crew piling on top of each other as the Condor spun around in the air.

The emergency shudders closed down, leaving the crew in complete darkness, but not before they caught a glimpse of Tinky hanging off of the Condor's helm.

"Terror, destruction and ruin." Stork stated simply.

The emergency power generator kicked into gear, giving everyone some light to rectify whatever problems may have occurred while the little Wallop put them in a spiral, the shudders retracting in time to see that the Condor was about to collide with a mountain.

Junko quickly got to his feet, grabbing Tinky while Piper turned the Condor around, narrowly avoiding the accident.

"The baby Wallop nearly ran us right into—Snipe's Battle Airship!"

The crew observed the massive ship, slowly moving out of sight.

"Time to gear up, guys!" Aerrow informed his crew mates.

"As soon as I put the little fella to bed, I'm ready to go!" Junko said happily as he looked at Tinky, who was once again torturing poor Radarr.

Aerrow looked at Finn and then to Piper before looking at the Wallop, "Change of plans, Junko," the redhead began, his friend unsure of what he meant by that, "Your part of the mission is to stay here and watch Tinky."

"I'm not sure which mission is more dangerous..." Finn commented, looking at his finger, which was officially out of commission.

Junko proceeded with trying to put Tinky to bed with his music box from his younger days, the Wallop falling asleep instead of the baby. Tinky wasted no time in happily doing whatever he pleased, leaving the now sleeping Junko behind.

"We're in a blind spot behind them, they still don't see us!" Piper said confidently.

"It's go time!" Aerrow agreed, clasping his fists together.

* * *

 

"I want more blasters!" Snipe yelled.

"But, Sir, we have so many now, if we had more, the ship will be too heavy to fly." a Talon explained to the Elite.

"Then I'll lighten the load, starting with you!" he threatened the poor worker.

Frightened, the Talon nodded, "More blasters, Sir. Coming right up, Sir!" he listened, running off.

"Nobody else has a cool super battle airship like _this_!" he said, laughing as he admired his weapon in the making, "Now, they'll all take me seriously!"

As Piper, Aerrow and Finn made their way to the Battleship, the teen girl considered what they did and didn't have, still confident that they could pull this off despite a few minor setbacks.

Back on the Condor, Junko finally woke up when his music box had stopped, immediately noticing that Tinky was nowhere to be found. Getting up, he began searching for the baby Wallop wherever he could, surely that he couldn't have gone far at all.

Once landed, Piper began to discuss the next move: getting into the airship and make their way over to engineering without getting caught, sabotage the controls, head back to their landing zone and finally, make their way back to the Condor.

It sounded simple enough for Aerrow and the four of them made their way to put their plan into action.

Junko was having no luck in finding Tinky, the Merb standing by not helping at all as he began telling the Wallop about all the possibilities of something horrific happening to the baby.

While trying to be as stealthy as possible, Finn somehow thought that they should relax and that he, of all people, was the expert on stealth tactics, managing to step on a Talon's helmet in the process. Finn thought they were done for, but the worker only asked for a wrench out of the tool box. The teen did just that, watching as the Talon continued working. Finn's need for perfect aim got the better of him and he ended up helping the Talon align the crosshair for the cannon to a perfect position, returning to an unhappy Aerrow, Piper and Radarr afterward.

"What are you doing here?!" they heard, looking up to see the overseer, "This ship isn't going to build itself! Quit standing around and get back to work!" he ordered the teens and they hastily moved.

The supervisor stood there, watching the teens paint the Battleship over, commenting on whatever flaws he saw. He took the liberty to sit down as he watched, but some hot coals had managed to fall onto the platform, the man immediately screaming in pain and running to find a way to extinguish his burning pants.

That was their chance and they hastily left to continue on with their plan.

Snipe sat at the helm of his Battleship, mimicking the superb power the weapon would disperse once is was operational, not noticing parts collapsing while he fantasized.

Aerrow, Piper, Finn and Radarr found the entrance to the airship, but was stumped once again by the bossy man sticking his burning rear out in a bucket of water right by the doorway. Part of the walkway above suddenly collapsed and the overseer wasted little time in moving to see what was going on. This was the teens' opportunity to get inside the Battleship, They began walking toward the ship, but their attention was turned away by a sound from above, Aerrow looking up to see a Switchblade; not just any and not just one.

"Dark Ace?" Aerrow spoke out.

"I _definitely_ didn't plan for that!" Piper admitted.

"Or that!" Finn spoke up, pointing to the all too familiar black and purple Switchblade following closely behind the Dark Ace.

"Is that...Flame?" Piper asked, "What is she doing here?"

"An even bigger question: what is she doing here _with_ the Dark Ace?" Aerrow asked, an angry expression forming across his face.

"Even worse, guys," Finn started, pointing up to see Tinky being hauled away by a Talon on one of the walkways.

* * *

 

"Shit." Flame spoke up, guilt distinct in her voice and expression.

"What is it?" her lover asked.

"I know you see it as well, Ace." she answered as she watched the Condor hidden behind the massive Battleship. The two landed on the airstrip, making their way to Snipe, who was still in the helm room.

The teenagers turned their attention to getting a hold of Tinky, who was now under a heavy security watch due to the trouble that he'd caused. Finn wondered how the baby got down to the construction site in the first place, while Aerrow wondered why he couldn't get a hold of Junko.

"He's not inside the radio..." Stork said as Junko started looking elsewhere after destroying said object, "Imagine that."

"So, _this_ is the ultimate weapon I've been hearing so much about?" the Dark ace asked, standing proper with his hands behind his back, looking out the window.

Flame stood by his side, a hand placed on his chest while she looked at him with admiration, yet her mind couldn't shake off the fact that she knew her friends saw her arrive with the Cyclonian Commander.

"Oh yeah!" Snipe said, "When this bad boy is up and runnin', I'm gonna rock the quadrant!" he continued on enthusiastically.

"Nice of you to invite the Storm Hawks aboard to witness your crowning achievement." the Dark Ace spoke plainly.

Snipe was shocked, "The Storm Hawks?! Wha—here?!"

"That's right," the Dark Ace confirmed, wrapping his arm around his lover, "You probably can't see the Condor in that enormous blind spot behind your bloated ship!" the Commander scrutinized the Talon.

"Darling," Flame spoke, placing a gentle hand on his cheek, "Be calm."

"Oh, wait a minute...that's _perfect!_ " Snipe began, the Dark Ace stopping to look at his coworker, arm still around Flame's waist, "When my super battleship blows the Storm Hawks and their 'Condor' to pieces, then _everyone_ will know who's the baddest dude of them all!" he laughed, "Me!" he finalized, pointing to himself as Flame walked over to the brute.

"You have your way," the Dark Ace spoke, pulling his weapon out, the firebolt crystal lighting up, "I have mine.

The Guardian Sky Knight grabbed his wrist tightly, looking at him right in the eyes, "Don't be foolish, Snipe. Your ship is not even close to operational."

"Of course it is!" he reassured her, looking over at the Dark Ace, "Maybe then you'll see I'm better than the Dark Ace, eh, sweetness?" he whispered to her.

"Flame is _mine_ , Snipe. The fact that she chose me leaves you with absolutely no chance." he reminded the Elite Talon, walking off with Flame following him.

"I'm returning to my Switchblade." she told her lover, giving him a soft kiss.

"Why?"

"I've done enough to jeopardize my friendship with the Storm Hawks and you can't possibly expect me to stand there and watch you fight them, Ace." she explained.

"Will you stay close by?" he asked her, understanding her predicament.

"Of course." she smiled and he pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss, pressing her against the wall before letting her go.

* * *

 

Snipe ordered the Talons to launch the ship in order to attack the Condor. Despite their warning of the Battleship not being ready, he was adamant in bringing down the Storm Hawks to prove his work and rise in rank and reputation.

The alarms on the Condor blared off, instantly putting Stork into his mindset of unavoidable doom. He moved to the scope, calling out that there was a major power surge coming from Snipe's Battle Airship.

The teens made their way to the room that Tinky was being held in, Finn getting the bright idea to barge in, only to essentially knock himself out. Piper gently pushed the door open to see Tinky sitting on top of a pile of unconscious guards, assuming they passed out from the horrendous smell leaking from Tinky's diaper. The boys instantly backed down and Piper was left with the responsibility of changing the diaper herself.

The Battleship was taking off and one by one, the teens jumped from the dry dock, Aerrow having to push Finn over in order to get him onto the ship. They hastily ran through the dark hallways of the Battleship.

"We gotta get to the engine room if we're gonna put this thing out of action!" Piper spoke out as they rounded a corner.

"Too bad the only way to it is past _me._ " the Dark Ace spoke with an ominous smile, blade in hand. He looked at the teens, mainly Aerrow, with entertainment, "I've _never_ fought a janitor before." he spoke, laughing out, but his enjoyment was cut short by Aerrow throwing the uniform at his face.

Aerrow told the others to keep going while the Dark Ace removed the clothing, clearly unhappy. The redhead reassured the others that he'd take care of the Dark Ace, the Cyclonian stating that he'd be taking care of Aerrow this time. Their swords clashed and Aerrow noticed something above, moving to cut the chains and close the Dark Ace into a space within the wall, pushing his body weight on it as the others continued on.

Suddenly, the Dark Ace's blade burst through the metal, effortlessly severing the metal door into two parts, the material collapsing on the floor, their weapons clashing immediately once again.

The Condor's radar showed the Battleship approaching quickly, but Stork was looking in the wrong direction, as Snipe took the approach of sneaking up behind them, ordering all blasters to be aimed at the much smaller airship.

Stork wasted no time in evading the Battleship, asking Junko for help, bringing to the depressed Wallop's attention that if Tinky is on board the Condor, helping out would be protecting him. That instantly put Junko into action, hopping onto the cannon to fire back at the enormous ship pursuing them.

* * *

 

Aerrow and the Dark Ace continued to fight.

"Who was with you, Dark Ace? Where's the person you arrived with?" Aerrow asked him as they continued to fight.

"I'm sure you're well aware of who that person was, Aerrow," he told the teen with a menacing smile, "But don't worry, she still cares about you annoying children."

Aerrow pushed his weight into the Dark Ace, the two breaking through the rather thin walls of the battleship and onto another walkway.

The Dark Ace attacked the redhead, knocking off a few of the cannons mounted on the walkway.

"We're making making a mess out of your Battleship!" Aerrow said with a satisfied smile.

The Dark Ace had a confident smirk on his lips as well, "It's not mine." he informed the teen, proceeding to keep the battle going.

Finn and Piper made it to the engine room, looking in awe at how vast the room was and how many controls and levers adorned the area.

"Don't tell me, You have no idea how to shut this down." he spoke to his teammate, more of a statement than a question.

They proceeded into the room, Tinky in Piper's arms, "Somehow, it didn't seem so big and complicated from the blueprint." she admitted as she looked around, dumbfounded.

"What do you think Flame was doing here with the Dark Ace?" the blonde teen asked Piper.

"I don't know. She can't be a Cyclonian, she despises them." she replied, but it hurt her to think that it could be a possibility that the Sky Knight had joined forces with their greatest enemy.

Tinky grabbed a lever and began pushing buttons, causing them to glow while he continued to play. Whatever the baby Wallop had done caused a major shift on the Battleship, causing Piper and Finn to tumble over. The blue-headed teen looked over to see Tinky turning back switches, the sound of the crystal-powered engine slowly silencing itself.

Snipe felt the shift as well, but it didn't stop him in continuing after the Condor, Junko still firing as many missiles as he could at the enormous Battleship while the Merb began to laugh manically, losing his mind over the thoughts of the impending doom. Junko managed to fire a missile into the hull of the ship, creating a gaping hole in the exterior.

"Did we do that?" Finn asked as they looked at Junko's handy work while Tinky carelessy continued on with his playtime.

Through the crosshairs on the cannon, Junko spotted the little one crawling around, panicking immediately and running to the hangar for his Skimmer, exclaiming that he had to save Tinky. The Merb turned around, hands to his face for a moment and asked who was going to save him, but remained on the Condor and continued to evade the blasts from the Battleship's massive ordinance.

* * *

 

On her Switchblade, watching from below, Flame observed the battle between Aerrow and her lover. A look of worry took over as the Dark Ace had managed to fling one of Aerrow's small-blades over the edge, the Dark Ace tossing the other behind him, landing on the other side of the walkway. Yet, she knew Aerrow and she knew he was skilled in getting out of sticky situations.

The Dark Ace looked at the weapon before turning back to the rehead, "You _could_ take that last, long jump, but I'm sure a Sky Knight would rather fall by the sword of a superior opponent!" he suggested to the redhead with a very enthusiastic smile on his face. That was quickly diverted to not falling off the ship, as it tilted. The Dark Ace hung on to the barrier of the walkway, watching as Aerrow quickly jumped down, moving up and over to grab his remaining small-sword.

"You may wanna rethink that." the teen said happily.

The Dark Ace grimaced, eyes glued to the teen. He remembered who trained the redhead and a part of him wasn't surprised that he was able to maneuver in the manner that he did.

Meanwhile, Junko quickly made his way over to the easily accessible engine room to save Tinky, crashing his Skimmer in the process of only wanting the little Wallop to be safe. Piper reassured Junko that Tinky was safe and ordered him to give them a hand in sabotaging the Airship as quickly as they could.

Snipe ordered the Talons to fire, but nothing happened. Irritated, he repeated himself only to be told that the engine wasn't active and that they needed the blaster power to keep them airborne. Being the type of person that made other people suffer when things didn't go his way, Snipe needed no words to let the Talon know that he had to deploy his parachute, the wind whisking him off and away from ship, Snipe ordered the others to get the blasters back to full power immediately and they proceeded to do just that. The cannons fired off again repeatedly, but the ship itself couldn't keep itself up as the blasters took so much energy and it began to fall from the sky.

Aerrow and the Dark Ace's battle came to a halt as the Cyclonian watched the Talons parachute off of the descending ship. Aerrow looked back to see the rest of the team finally reaching where he was at, Radarr freaking out over the ship's imminent crash and climbing on Junko, usnig his head as higher ground. It caused Aerrow to smile, but that was quickly taken away by the Dark Ace once again attempting to slice the teen's head off. Aerrow noticed that the Cyclonian Commander was only holding his sword with one hand and that would be easy to work with. When their weapons clashed again, the redhead used all his strength to cause the weapon to slip out of the Dark Ace's hand, the Elite Talon watching as his beloved energy blade fell into the clouds below.

"You could jump," he heard, turning around with an unimpressed look to see Aerrow, "Or, you could fall by the sword of a superior opponent!" the teen repeated the Cyclonian's previous words.

The Dark Ace looked away for a moment before returning his attention to Aerrow with a smile, "I think I'll jump." he informed the teen, taking a simple backflip off of the walkway. Aerrow, Piper and Finn rushed over to see the Dark Ace falling, but there was a Switchblade stagnant in the sky and he was aiming for it.

Flame looked up as her lover began descending toward her and she averaged to make sure that she could catch him. Once he landed behind her, he kissed her neck, taking a hold of the ride's handles.

"Ace, what in the bloody hell are you doing?!" she asked her lover, but he ignored her, moving the ride upward. She fought him, telling him to stop, but his arms wouldn't budge and she was helpless as his body surrounded hers.

He brought her Switchblade up to the walkway the teens were still stuck on, all of them looking back between him and a very unhappy Flame.

"You might want to find a better ride," the Dark Ace told them, "Because the one you're on is a one way ticket to the Wastelands." he finished with an ominous smile, tilting the Switchblade to fly away and Flame yelling at him to take her back and get off her ride.

"How could she do this to us?!" Aerrow asked as he looked down, seeing the lava that stained the surface of the Wastelands becoming more and more clear.

"But...he's got a pretty good point." Finn said with a concerned look, but Aerrow's mind was torn between feeling betrayed by Flame and considering that this may be the last moments of his life.

How were they possibly going to get out of this? All of their Skimmers were left at the construction site, surely destroyed by now since Snipe didn't properly detach from the dry docks.

Junko looked at Tinky. He couldn't let the poor baby lose his life like this; he'd barely begun life, "You leave this to the Wallops!" he told everyone.

They all made their way back to the engine room, getting on Junko's Skimmer, despite the wings being detached. He grabbed them and began to flap as much as he could, somehow managing to fly the Skimmer out of the engine room. Even Piper commented on how amazed she was that his plan had actually worked.

The Battleship, hit the lava, a protruding rock keeping the large ship from completely falling down and saving Snipe's life.

* * *

 

"Do you understand the damage you have done, Ace?!" she yelled at her lover, "You've essentially destroyed my friendship with the Storm Hawks!"

"You don't need destructive little twerps like them for friends, Flame," he told her, "Everyone in Cyclonia loves you."

A look of pure shock formed across her face before it turned to one of anger, "Did you plan this?!"

"What? Why would I plan this? I had to see the Battleship for myself and it's a good thing that I did. Look at the damage your little friends caused. We lost one of the most promising weapons we could have possibly had."

"I'm glad," she admitted to him, "That thing shouldn't be operational. He wanted to take over the quadrant."

"And he should have had the chance to!" the Dark Ace agreed with his coworker.

She looked at him, sadness and hurt clear in her eyes, "Why are you so evil?" she asked him, a darkened tear falling from the corner of her watery eyes.

"Don't cry, babe. You're making me feel bad."

She didn't respond. She stayed silent for the duration of the trip back to Cyclonia, denying her lover's offer to stay. She had to make amends with the Storm Hawks—most importantly with Aerrow. Those teenagers were so dear to her and she knew they interpreted everything the wrong way. Not entirely wrong, but she knew they'd all have assumptions that were false. Perhaps some even true.

Once in the area, she radioed in to Stork, telling him that she desperately needed to explain what had occurred to them. He allowed her access and all of them met on the Condor's airstrip. She parked her Switchblade there and got off of the ride, walking toward the teens. She usually held a stance full of pride that poked at her high reputation, but this time, she wasn't herself. She was guilty and ashamed.

"That's close enough." Aerrow said sternly, arms crossed. To her, she sounded so much like _him_. It wasn't surprising to her. She always knew that he carried so much of his father's traits and even his personality.

"I know what you're all thinking," she told the crew, who stood in place, watching her with looks of discontentment, "I am not a Cyclonian. I'm not an enemy."

"You can't lie to us anymore, Flame." Junko spoke out.

"I have no reason to lie. I know you all saw me when I arrived."

"With the _Dark Ace_." Aerrow pointed out, " _Why_ were you with him in the first place?" he asked her.

She looked at each of them. They all deserved to know the truth. She was an adult and had the right of having a relationship with whoever she chose to. Surely, they could understand that.

"Alright," she caved in, "The Dark Ace and I have been seeing each other for a bit over a year now."

They all looked at her with disgust and it hurt her. This was what she wanted to avoid. The way Aerrow was looking at her was breaking her heart.

"You're with the Dark Ace?!" Aerrow exclaimed.

"Flame...how could you?" Piper asked, a clear tone of sadness in her voice.

"I tried telling you guys something was up between those two." Finn stated in a matter-of-factly tone.

"The Dark Ace and I have a history...a very deep one. I've known him for a very long time."

"This isn't any of my business," Stork said, knowing full well that she was just as much of an adult as he was and didn't need to hear her reasons, "I'll be in my room." He finalized, proceeding to do so.

"You're a traitor, Flame!" Aerrow yelled, moving to push her, but was taken back by her speed in escaping his emotional attack.

"I have never betrayed you." she spoke behind him and he quickly turned around, "it took many years for me to forgive him for what he'd done."

"I get it now," Piper spoke, "Your Switchblade was unharmed when we rescued Dove. You have access to Cyclonia!" the teen fit the small piece of the puzzle together.

"By the Dark Ace's wishes, Cyclonis granted me access, yes." she admitted.

"Then there's no denying your betrayal to us!" Aerrow exclaimed, "That's why the Dark Ace knew to come after us! You warned him!"

"I did no such thing!" she defended herself, "I was angered by his actions and confronted him about the ordeal. He already knew you were there before I even got to him! I would _never_ allow him to hurt you!"

"You betrayed us!" Aerrow proclaimed, completely unbelieving of her.

His stubbornness could be something to admire in the right situation, but it was doing nothing but irritating her more and more as he refused to listen to her truth. "I would never betray my own blood, Aerrow!" she blurted out in anger, quickly covering her mouth as Piper, Finn and Junko gasped,

Aerrow staying silent and confused. "Your...blood?" Aerrow asked.

Flame sighed, removing her hands from her mouth, "Aerrow...we need to have a serious talk. Alone." She spoke, moving to go to her quarters. She turned around, waiting for him to follow and after a few moments, he hesitantly did so. She sat on her bed, looking at him and waiting for him to sit beside her.

When he did, she slowly moved her hand to cup his cheek, "Aerrow," she spoke gently, "You look so much like your father."

Aerrow was shocked by her statement, "You knew him?" he asked, looking at her.

Dark tears fell from her eyes as she placed her hands in her lap,

"He was a great man, my uncle. I spent a lot of time on the Condor before..." she stopped.

"Before what?"

"Before he was murdered..."

"Where were you when this happened?" he asked her.

"I was at home with Starling. I had to watch her while her—our parents fought in the battle."

"Who murdered my father?" he asked. He was sure he knew, but a part of him wanted to hear it, for confirmation.

"He was betrayed and murdered by his co-pilot, a teenager just a few years older than I was...a young man that I loved very much."

"His co-pilot? I thought the Dark Ace defeated the original Storm Hawks." he spoke his understanding of the situation, confused by her words.

"Yes...he did. All of them. Even your father, Lightning Strike."

Aerrow's eyes widened, "Lightning Strike was—" "

Your father, yes," she confirmed, "My uncle. Stork is aware of this, but I've spoken to him and he respected my wishes to tell you for myself when the time was right."

"But...where were our parents? If you grew up with Starling and my father before he died..."

"My mother died giving birth to me," she stated, "I don't know who my father is."

He nodded, "what happened to my mom?"

"I...I honestly don't know, Aerrow. When word of your father's death reached back home on Terra Mesa, I immediately took off to find you, but neither you nor your mother could be found where I'd knew you would have been. I looked everywhere for you. I knew I found you when I saw you and those other two in the tree house on Terra Neverlandis . I felt it in my heart that you were my uncle's only child."

"Then...why didn't you help us?" he asked, tears flowing down his face, "You knew how difficult it was for us...why didn't you help us?"

"Because the Guardians wouldn't allow me to, Aerrow. I tried, but they said it was necessary for you to survive on your own."

"And what about you?"

"I continued teaching at the Academy. You know that, and when you got the Condor, you attended Atmosia Academy, where I trained you. I spent many hours convincing the Headmaster that it would be in everyone's best interest if you were in my class, despite the fact that it was a senior course. Nonetheless, they allowed me to and you were happy when you found out I was your teacher, weren't you?" she asked him.

"Well, you're my friend. Of course I was happy. You didn't give up on me, even when I still hadn't found my special move...and you still passed me to become a qualified Sky Knight."

"That's because I knew who you were." she smiled.

"How could you be with him? Knowing that he killed my dad? Your _own_ uncle?" he asked her. He didn't understand how she could have relations with someone who did something so horrible.

"I told you, Aerrow, it took many years for me to understand that he only chose the path he thought was meant for him, just as we all do. I fought with him for nearly a year before I'd realized that what I thought were just feelings for someone I knew as a child grew into feelings for the man I know now. Then, it just happened. I didn't honestly expect him to reciprocate the same feelings I harboured for him, but he did...he very much did."

"Did he ever ask for forgiveness for what he did?" the teen asked, highly doubting a man like that would do such a thing.

"Actually, he begged for it," she spoke, Aerrow's expression being one of shock, "On his knees, he begged me to forgive him. I could only tell him that I forgave him a long time ago."

"So...you love the Dark Ace?" Aerrow asked.

"I'm in love with him, Aerrow," she confirmed, "I always have been."

"And he loves you?"

"Yes, he does."

"How can you trust him?"

"I trust him because I need him to trust me. It's a very important part in every relationship a person has. Even ours."

"And you're not a Cyclonian?"

"Absolutely not! I'm just in a relationship with Ace, nothing more than that."

"What was my father like?" Aerrow asked, wanting to know more about the man that was taken away from him much too soon.

"He was the kind of man every child would want to grow up under. I had the chance of doing so...and so did you, but you were too young to remember him. He was strong, kind, loyal, courageous...he was everything I see in you."

Aerrow pointed to himself, "In me?"

"Well, of course," Flame smiled, "You're his son."

He leaned back a little, shifting himself, "Does this have anything to do with why you always lean your face into mine every now and then?" he asked, causing her to giggle.

"Yes, Aerrow. Now you know why."

"I always thought you were scrutinizing me." he admitted, rubbing the back of his head and giving out an awkward chuckle.

"No, I was admiring how much like your father you are."

"What was the Dark Ace like? Before he betrayed us?"

"I wanted to marry him," Flame admitted, a small, embarrassed blush creeping across her cheeks, "I always thought that I would become a Storm Hawk and we would get married and be happy together. He was so kind and caring...I used to follow him around all the time and he didn't ever complain. He taught me a lot and he, honestly, was my best friend. We used to do almost everything together. Nap, eat, work on the Skimmers and eventually, I fell in love. I, of course, wasn't allowed to date because I was 'too young'. Your father didn't like how close I was to him, either. I do believe I overheard him threatening Ace as well. You know, the whole 'touch her and I'll kill you' speech." she said, causing the two of them to laugh, "I even stole a kiss from him once when he was napping and I was doing my studies."

"Wow..." Aerrow said, continuing to listen.

"Apparently he knew about that," she frowned slightly, "But he was the type of person you would never expect to do what he did...it destroyed me."

"How did you recover from such a loss?" he asked.

"My training at the Academy went from doing everything I could to be a great Sky Knight to honing every possible skill and eliminate him to avenge Strike," she explained, "But...I didn't have the strength to continue living with such hatred. I cried every night, beginning to hate myself for letting such a strong need for revenge get the better of me. I had to forgive him in order for me to function properly."

Aerrow was very interested in this story, to know as much as he could about what caused her to fall in love with the Cyclonian Commander, "What did you do when you first saw him?"

"I tried to kill him." she stated simply with a smile, holding up her right hand, "This ring belonged to him: he wore it on his pinky finger. I took it from him as a birthday gift for myself."

"And you kept it for all this time?"

"I kept it as a reminder of what I was trying to find and what I fight for, what I stand for."

Aerrow silenced himself, letting her continue her story.

"I was having a drink in the markets on Saharr and a man sat next to me. We said no words to each other and he said no words, but he ordered a shot for me. When I accepted it, he brushed his thumb over the ring. I looked at him, but didn't recognize him at all. He'd changed so much, but I was attracted to him. I thanked him and got up to leave and when he spoke to me, I instantly knew it was him. My scythe was against his neck immediately after that."

"And then what?"

"We battled for hours. Many, _many_ hours. We were both getting exhausted, but didn't want to lose to the other. That's when we decided to call it a draw and went out separate ways. It continued for about a year and then one day...well, that's not something I should be telling a child." she laughed, ruffling Aerrow's hair.

"I suppose we should tell everyone else as well, then."

"You know I'm not a traitor, Aerrow. I'm sure they'll understand, but they all deserve to know." she agreed.

Everyone gathered in the helm room of the Condor, allowing Flame to explain almost everything to the rest of the crew. For them, if Aerrow accepted her wishes to be with the Dark Ace and believed she wasn't a Cyclonian or was betraying them in any way, that was good enough for the rest of the crew.

* * *

 

Flame returned to Cyclonia, explaining to the Dark Ace that they knew now and, for the most part, accepted their relationship. She did, however, spare her lover the knowledge of her relations to Aerrow and _who_ Aerrow was. The Dark Ace hated the boy enough, she didn't need to give him even more reason to want to end the child's life.

The Dark Ace was happy that she could make amends with her friends, but at the same time, he didn't feel bad for what he did and it upset her immensely. He should be apologizing for putting her in yet another situation that went beyond being able to simply play it off as a mistake. To him, they would have found out eventually. They settled their differences by _other_ means.

As they lied in bed together, the Dark Ace's mind wandered to a decision he was personally trying to make for many months.

* * *

 

_**Flashback...** _

_"Okay, okay." Flame said after placing the shot glass on the table, "What do you imagine your life would have been like if you didn't betray us?" she asked the Dark Ace._

_"I don't like this game anymore." he smiled, pulling her closer, "Let's do something else..." he suggested in a flirtatious tone._

" _I think I accomplished that well enough last night," Flame smiled before he kissed her, "I shouldn't even be drinking around you." she admitted, putting her curled finger to her lips in thought._

_"Can't control yourself around me?" he asked her with a menacing smirk._

_"I didn't mean for it to happen...and stop diverting the topic!" she told him as she realized what he was trying to do._

_"We've only been together twice, you know...besides, you said it last night that you bought that sexy little outfit for me." he reminded her, "I enjoyed it and you very much."_

_Her face reddened from the fact that she admitted such a thing to the Dark Ace before she looked away, "The first time shouldn't have even happened and I shouldn't be in Tropica with you, either," she brought to his attention, looking back at him, "Now answer the question or lose the game and face the consequences!" she threatened him with a mischievous smile on her face._

_He sighed, "Honestly, I figured you'd grow up, join the Storm Hawks and we'd probably be married with a kid or a kid on the way...or both." he answered, looking away._

_"You're lying." she told him, not believing that he could possibly envision the same thing that she did if he remained a Storm Hawk._

_"Am I?" he asked, looking at her, "What reason would I have to lie about what I initially wanted?"_

_"I...I don't know..." she accepted his answer, taking the next shot with him before he grabbed her ankle to make her lie down on the bed, moving on top of her and pinning her hands down as he kissed her, slipping his tongue between her lips. "Let's see if the third try is a charm," he said in a sultry tone, considering that she'd continuously turned him down to be in a serious relationship with him since that incident on the desert Terra._

* * *

 

 _Marriage._ Was he _really_ considering marriage? He thought about his life, his title compared to hers. Yet, she was still everything he wanted. There would never be another like her. If he didn't claim this for himself, he could possibly lose her to someone else. Would she even accept such an offer?

"Flame." the Dark Ace spoke to his lover.

"Yes, Ace?" she answered, moving her head slightly to look at him as her head was rested in its usual place in that soft spot between his shoulder and chest.

"M-Marry me." he told her, a nervous tone undeniable in his voice.

Her eyes widened, her expression being one of complete shock. He definitely took her by surprise with that,

"Ace..."

"It's what we've wanted so many years ago, isn't it? Why should what's happened stop us now? We still ended up together, didn't we? It's the only logical next step in our relationship and both of us are quite capable of affording it, or we can keep it small and simple as well. The reception or lack of it is up to you, but I think we should move forward together because I know we both—"

She stopped him from his nervous rambling with a gentle kiss,

"I have an idea of what I want, Ace." she smiled, "Our titles is definitely an obstacle and therefore renders a reception or official statement out of the question...but I know something that could make up for it." she smiled.

"W-wait. So...you will?" he asked her, ensuring that he didn't just make a complete fool out of himself.

She smiled, "Yes. Of course. Absolutely." she answered with a wide smile before pressing her lips to his once more, deepening the kiss as she moved on top of him, tangling her fingers in his hair.


	6. An Old Friend

_**Flashback...** _

" _Did you pick up the ring?" Flame asked her lover as she unmounted her Switchblade._

" _I did," he confirmed, "I still don't understand why you would choose the Firebolt Crystal." he spoke as they made their way inside their beautiful getaway home._

" _I assume it's the same reason you chose the Frost Crystal." she smiled at him._

_He smirked, "Does it really remind you of my eyes? I've never seen the resemblance."_

" _That's because you don't see yourself the way I see you, Ace." she told him, placing a hand on his cheek, leading him to the back door of the house and outside, next to the brilliant, clear sea._

_Flame pulled out the ring, a Frost Crystal, cut and shaped smoothly, the platinum edges pressing the three layers of the ring together to finish the design perfectly. She gently placed the ring on her lover's bare finger, admiring how it decorated his hand._

" _Wow..." the Dark Ace commented. "You expect me to compete with that?" he asked with a smile._

_She laughed, "It doesn't matter how the ring was designed, Ace. What matters is the thought behind it." she reassured her soon-to-be husband that she didn't care for any sort of intricate design._

_The Dark Ace gently pulled out the two pieces of jewellery: a teardrop-shaped Firebolt Crystal, securely held by the white gold band. While it looked like two pieces, it was actually one, as the white gold protruded from underneath the tip of the crystal, latching on to a smaller band completely made of the Firebolt Crystal itself._

_Flame looked at the gorgeous ring, unsure as to how he'd managed to think of such a simple and beautiful design, "I...this is absolutely beautiful, Ace..." she spoke, still taken back by the design._

" _I thought you wouldn't like it," he admitted, "I tried to think of something that wouldn't be boring to look at."_

_She looked up at him, eyes beaming with excitement, "I love it!"_

_He was glad to see her smile the way she was now. It wasn't something he got to see often. Sure, they had their laughs and whatever fun they may, but she always seemed to have empty eyes out of the bedroom, "Let's get this on with," he spoke, his eyes wandering her body wherever they could, "I want to start the Honeymoon."_

" _Patience really isn't your strongest aspect, is it?" she smiled as she pulled out two pieces of paper, "Now, this is a spell. You have to do as I say in order for this to work, alright?" she asked as she handed him one and he nodded, "Touch my crystal with yours," she started and he did as told, "We have to read this together. The spell is going to be activated by both of us reading it and once we do, we cannot break the crystals away until I say so nor can we stop looking at each other."_

" _You had to make this complicated, didn't you?" he frowned._

_She raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Fine. We're done, we're married." she smiled, turning around to go inside._

" _No! Flame, come on! I was joking, babe," he reassured her, "I want to do this with you."_

" _Are you ready?" she asked and he nodded once again, both of them reading the spell aloud:_

 _Within this ring,_  
Within the crystal it bears,  
I have chosen  
With much thought, love and care;  
And in this ring  
My love and life bound,  
The bond created cannot be unwound.  
Only by great force  
Could it be broken:  
Through death,  
Or the love taken.  
Should I die,  
Or the crystal break,  
Far or near,  
My love shall know  
Within my heart,  
I will always hold them dear. 

_A bright burst of light emanated from the touching Crystals. They felt immense and painful pressure, but they were both adamant to follow this through. She grabbed on to his arm to keep it from moving away and he did the same, remembering not to break away from her eyesight. Soon enough, the light faded and the pressure slowly dissipated. Their arms were aching, but the spell worked, a glow flowing over the rings. The Dark Ace wasn't sure of what the glow was for, but he would figure it out soon enough. It was probably something so stupidly obvious that if he asked, she might laugh at him, so he'd just have to figure it out on his own._

" _Now," Flame spoke, moving toward her new husband and kissing him passionately, "On to the Honeymoon." she smiled._

_He bit his lip as he looked at his new wife, picking her up and carrying her inside the house while she wrapped her arms and legs around him, kissing his neck._

* * *

 

Flame looked at the ring on her finger as she broke out of her memory, a smile forming across her face, her cheeks heating from her knowledge of what followed after for _many_ days.

They chose Terra Tropica to hold their little 'ceremony', a small way to make the union feel more official, rather than just hiding it all away. Only a select few would know about their marriage—people they trusted not to spread word to the wrong people.

She and the Dark Ace had only been married for a few weeks now, both of them having much work to get done. Their honeymoon only lasted for a week, but it was enough to never forget how much they meant to each other; to never forget that _he_ was her husband now, and she was _his_ wife.

She shook her head, deciding to concentrate more on making her way to the Condor.

Once on board, everybody was looking at her with odd expressions painted on their faces. What was going on? What were they all thinking?

"Is there something wrong?" she finally asked them after a few moments.

"That ring is _gorgeous_!" Piper beamed, lifting Flame's hand up to examine it better, "A Firebolt Crystal?"

"Yes, it's a Firebolt Crystal." Flame smiled, blushing slightly.

"The design is magnificent," Stork added, taking a closer look, "Very unique and intricate."

"Flame, you're glowing!" Piper complimented the Sky Knight, lifting a hand up to her face, "Are you having a baby?!"

"What?!" Aerrow exclaimed, "Of course she's not! There's no way!" he refused to accept such a theory.

"Oh, you're just jealous, Aerrow." Finn spoke.

Aerrow twitched at the comment, "What could I _possibly_ be jealous about?"

"If Flame is having a baby, that means you won't have all of her attention soon." the blonde chuckled, suddenly being smacked over the head by the Guardian of Atmosia herself.

"I'm _not_ with child, you guys," she reassured them, Aerrow exhaling in relief, "I just..."

"You what?" Junko asked.

"Well...Ace and I are—"

"You just said you're not having a baby!" Aerrow complained, his hopes diminishing once again.

"We got married, not pregnant!" she exclaimed, having enough of their assumptions.

Piper squealed in excitement, jumping around and hugging Flame, "What was it like? Did you guys have a ceremony? No, we would have been there if you had a ceremony. Did he get this ring for you? Was it romantic? Where did you guys get married? Did you have a honeymoon? How was the honeymoon? Does Cyclonis know about this? Would she even be okay wit—" the teen was interrupted by Flame putting her hand over her mouth to calm her down.

"He didn't just get the ring for me, we designed each others' rings. We got married on Tropica. Yes, there was a honeymoon. Yes, Cyclonis knows about this. Yes, she's okay with it and it was _extremely romantic and absolutely amazing!_ " she finished her explanation in a higher pitch, both of them squealing and hugging.

"Girls are weird." Finn commented.

" _Very..._ " Aerrow added.

Everyone's attention was suddenly diverted when a very special looking bird landed on a banister in the hangar.

_Oh no..._

Flame knew that birds didn't generally look like that. There were only _certain_ birds that carried such extravagant feathers and they tended to not be birds at all. She knew this one quite well.

"Aw! The little fella must be lost!" Junko said, the strongman instantly being softened by the bird.

"Junko." Flame spoke out in an attempt to warn him, but he, of course, couldn't hear her in such a state.

"Come here, birdy!" he encouraged the creature, only to be picked at and he instantly withdrew his hand.

"You wouldn't come here if it wasn't serious," Flame spoke to the bird, "Why don't you just let us know what's going on?"

The bird leapt off the railing and onto the floor, the true identity of the creature being revealed as a man and, for the most part, freaking out the teenagers.

"Can we help you?" Aerrow asked the man.

"Depends," he spoke, his voice as flamboyant as his clothing, "Know any good pie joints? I'm feeling _peckish_!"

The teens looked at each other before looking back at him.

"Ah, I'll take that as a 'no'..."

Flame shook her head, a small and embarrassed laugh escaping, "You never were any good with jokes."

"Actually, _you're_ the ones needing the help." he spoke, pointing toward the Storm Hawks before pulling out a sceptre, killing the generator.

The room went black and Aerrow ordered Stork to turn on the lights from the backup generator instead of waiting for it to kick in. When the lights flickered on, the man was nowhere to be found. Aerrow ordered the Storm Hawks to split up and find 'it', still unsure of what was actually going on. Flame stayed in the hangar, knowing that she had nothing to worry about and this was their fight.

Finn was the first one to come across the bird-man, certain that he would bring him down. He was caught off guard when he suddenly disappeared, appearing from behind him and upside down. The man's words didn't make any sense to the teenager, but that didn't stop Finn from hollering out to Junko that the mysterious man was heading toward the engine room.

Junko wasn't able to catch him either, not even seeing the man despite the Wallop hearing his voice directly behind him at one point. Junko informed Stork that the bird-man was heading toward him and the Merb felt ready, geared up in his pots and pans. A trap that Stork had set up fell and in his thoughts of victory, exclaimed that the bird was his now, only to notice that there was only a piece of cloth inside the small cage. Stork got knocked out by one of the Condor's traps, the bird-man mumbling something about how difficult it was to find that specific material lately before taking off.

Piper had her staff, ready to charge off anything that she saw, but was surprised when she realized that her weapon had been snatched right from her hands. The bird man admired the crystal that decorated the top of her staff, but informed the young mage that rocks aren't always going to be there for her. He killed the life in her crystal, tossing her staff back to her and suggested that she thought over her outfit before taking off.

Next was Aerrow. He looked around, weapons ready until he noticed the bucket of water sitting on the floor. He kicked it over and gave Radarr the go ahead to attack and the creature did so, catching the bird-man. Everyone had made it back over to the area, except Flame, who hadn't moved at all. While the Storm Hawks were upset and wanted to attack him, the Sky Knight stood in place, knowing this routine all too well.

The man clapped, the lights coming back to life, "I gotta say, not too shabby," he complimented them, "But your place is entirely another story."

Flame rolled her eyes. He was always one who went to the extreme when it came to appearances. His costume alone screamed that.

"Excuse me, again," Aerrow spoke, "But _who are you?!_ "

The bird-man took his hood off, his wild green and purple hair being spread out in any direction, "It's your lucky day!" he exclaimed, "Arygyn has arrived!"

"What have you done to yourself?" Flame asked him upon seeing his hair. She didn't recall it always being that way.

Arygyn waved her off impishly, looking at Radarr, "Do me a favour, will you, floppy? Watch the slacks." Radarr looked up at him, letting go of the man's ankle and scurried behind Aerrow.

Piper gasped, "You mean, _you're_ Arygyn?" the teen asked.

"Don't stroke his ego more, Piper." Flame spoke, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"So you've heard of me!" he said excitedly with a chuckle, "Now look, you're making me blush!"

"Wow! It's an honour to have you on board, sir!" Aerrow spoke up, extended a hand to the man.

"Seriously, did I miss something?" Finn asked, being informed by Piper that the man was the 'Arygyn the Skeeler', but the blonde still didn't understand.

"World-famous warrior trainer and shape shifter, to put it simply," Flame spoke up, standing next to said man, "I'm sure that I've mentioned on more than one occasion that I had been specially trained by Arygyn."

"Your speed makes sense now." Aerrow commented.

Arygyn chuckled, "You did always admire my speed, Ice Queen." he spoke to the Sky Knight.

"Ice Queen is fitting." Finn muttered under his breath, receiving a glare from the woman.

Arygyn turned around, "I've had my eyes out there, kids. Trouble is coming for you."

"Why do I have a feeling that my husband is involved in this?" Flame asked herself aloud, Arygyn having an uncertain look on his face once turning to face her.

"It was Ravess. She never missed a shot." Arygyn began, grabbing everyone's attention, "And then there's Snipe, stronger than ever. The Buzzards didn't stand a chance. Same story for the Screaming Queens."

"Here it comes, Flame." Finn commented, looking at the woman with a victorious smile as Arygyn explained how much more powerful the Dark Ace was now.

* * *

 

"That's what you'll be up against," he warned them, "Which is why I brought you to the _best_ place in the entire Atmos for training."

"Are you _really_ doing this to them as well?" Flame whispered to him, "This is torturous, Arygyn!"

"No, it's not! Hush, you'll ruin it," he spoke to her and she could help but laugh. She was once in this position and all of them, except Stork, seemed just as excited as she was at first, "Okay, you can take off the blind folds!" he chimed.

The Storm Hawks took their blind folds off, to see Arygyn cheerfully present the training grounds to them.

"Terra Neon?" Junko asked.

"Sweet!" Finn exclaimed.

"Wait a second," Aerrow spoke as he approached Arygyn, "If the Talons and Raptors are causing _this_ much trouble, shouldn't we be out there trying to stop them?" he asked the Guardian.

"Do you like losing?" Arygyn asked Aerrow, "'Cause that's exactly what's gonna happen if you go after them. You need to be prepared. You need _this_! I pulled a few strings so we could have the whole place to ourselves." he said proudly, "It's good to be famous."

"It does have its perks." Flame agreed.

"You're not famous, Flame!" Finn argued.

She looked at the blonde, "What gave you the idea that I'm not famous? I received one-on-one training with Arygyn for years, graduated with Honours from Atmosia Sky Knight Academy, was offered to teach advanced training at that same school _and_ I'm also the _sole_ Guardian of Atmosia; not to mention that I'm the first daughter of the wealthiest family on Terra Mesa, the daughter of veteran Sky Knights and the niece of Lightning Strike himself." she reminded him, "There's not a single soul in Atmos that doesn't know who I am."

"Oh, look at you, flaunting your accomplishments. You make me so proud!" the Guardian spoke to her despite knowing that it wasn't something she often did.

Finn frowned, "You're also adopted."

"Don't go there, Finn." she warned the blonde.

"Is this guy _really_ for real?" Piper asked Aerrow.

"He better be." Aerrow stated.

"His methods may seem _extremely_ unreasonable," Flame began, "But I assure you, he knows what he's doing."

"Well, why doesn't Flame have to train?" Finn asked.

"I have been trained, but I'm not worried about being captured, Finn." she stated, arms behind her back as usual.

"Why? Because he's your _husband_?" Finn tried to tease her, but her subtle smirk brought down his attempt.

Flame quickly made her way next to Arygyn, wondering exactly what he had planned for the Storm Hawks. While he did seem oddly unrealistic and irrational, she knew that all of the Guardians had their own ways of helping others.

Finn took to the shooting ducks game, taking out every target, as expected. Arygyn told the teen to win him a giant prize, Flame giggling at how childish the man could be at times.

"Arygyn, I don't mean to be rude, but I thought we were supposed to be training." Aerrow approached the Guardian.

"Lesson one." Flame spoke, knowing full well that the training had already begun.

"Trust me." Arygyn told Aerrow, "Oh, and, uh, do something about that hair!" he spoke out as he sped off.

Flame placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder, "Don't listen to him about appearances, Aerrow. If it were up to him, you'd look just like...him." she smiled, restoring the teen's confidence slightly.

* * *

 

They approached the whacking game, Arygyn exclaiming how fun it would be as he handed the large hammer to Piper, who could barely hold it with her entire upper body.

_I didn't know she was so weak..._

Piper tried to kindly turn down his orders, but wasn't given the chance.

"Bells won't ring until you swing!" Arygyn spoke, laughing out, "I crack myself up."

"You're the _only_ person who finds amusement in your lame jokes, Arygyn." Flame reminded him.

He looked at the Sky Knight with a frown, "Don't be mean—"

She shook her head and spoke out the rest of the sentence with him, "Ice Queen." looking at him afterwards, "You still remember that after all these years?"

"You're my protégé!" he explained to her, "Of course I remember our training!"

"I'd expect your 'protégé' to be a Macaw covered in glitter, to be honest." she snickered and he laughed, stating that he should get one since he didn't have any children.

Piper looked so uncertain, her eyes looking up to the bell. She tried to lift the hammer, but the weight was just too much for her.

"Don't give up hope, Piper," Flame reassured her, "I had to do everything that you all are and this was a vacation for me compared to the training I underwent with Arygyn." she smiled.

Piper gave a half-hearted smile back to the Sky Knight as she was still wracked with uncertainty, but Flame's words brought her some comfort. She finally managed to get a better hold of the large mallet, tossing it over and hitting the platform. The fist on the scale went up, but missed the bell by two points. She would have to keep trying and was sure that if the hammer didn't cause her to break her back, she would die from exhaustion.

* * *

 

"I haven't flown a bumper pod since I was a little Wallop!" Junko said excitedly as he sat down in one of the little vehicles, seeming much too big for such a ride now.

Aerrow and Stork stared at Arygyn with unimpressed looks in their faces while the man didn't seem to notice at all. He used his sceptre to start the ride and Junko seemed very happy while riding around. He bumped into one of the pods, two others being drawn to him and he got a small electric shock as a result. He thought it was rather 'cool'.

Poor Stork was put onto the mechanical bull ride, not happy at all with having to hang on for dear life.

Arygyn mocked what the Merb was probably saying, giving out a laugh, "Man, I'm a cruel, cruel man." he spoke to Aerrow.

"That you are, Arygyn." Flame smiled.

He wrapped his arm around Aerrow, "Come on, I've got a great idea!" he told the redhead, leading him to the roller coaster.

"Don't you just love these things?" Arygyn asked him as the cars went by, "It's like butter on a biscuit! Hop on."

Aerrow had a seemingly confident smile on his lips, "But Arygyn, it's going like a hundred miles an hour. Now can we _please_ start training?" he asked the Guardian.

Flame smirked, an eyebrow raising from the entertainment. Considering their unusual methods for practice, she was surprised that Aerrow didn't realize that they were already in the process of training to take on the enhanced Elite Talons.

"I'll tell you what, kid. If you can get on that moving coaster, I'll teach you something that's _guaranteed_ to stop the Dark Ace in his tracks."

"You're on!" Aerrow agreed.

Flame and Arygyn left the redhead to do his thing while they sped off to check up on Finn.

"This is too easy for him." Flame commented, "Give him a challenge. Something that will piss him off." she smiled mischievously.

Arygyn nodded his head, using his sceptre to increase the speed immensely to the point where Finn was now missing every single shot.

They checked up on Piper, who was now able to hold the hammer and that showed quite some progress.

"This time, you're mine!" she spoke to the game, putting everything she had into the hit.

Arygyn, however, raised the bar—quite literally. There were now more points as the pole had been extended drastically and it lowered her confidence once again.

"That was just mean, Arygyn." Flame told the Guardian.

He smiled at her, "It's necessary if they're to have any hope in fighting against the Dark Ace and the other Talons.

"Fair enough." she accepted.

Junko was next to experience Arygyn's rather unfair tactics, the speed of the bumper-pods increasing. He was bombarded by the other pods, unsure of what was happening. His enjoyable ride suddenly turned into a nightmare as he was constantly being surrounded by the other pods.

When they got to Stork, Arygyn leaned against the controls.

"Oh, no," Flame spoke up, "Stork can't handle this as it is. I think it's best we leave him." she suggested.

The man looked at her, "You think they'll go easy on him out there, Ice Queen?" he asked her, his point silencing her.

The mechanical bull's eyes turned red, the speed increasing as the bull violently spun and jerked the Merb around.

Aerrow continued to try getting onto the speedy coaster, almost succeeding, but hanging onto the end wasn't going to help him get to the front seat. The lack of grip caused him to fly back and he was once again standing where he started. He turned around, slipping on a banana peel and fell, his arm hitting a lever that stopped the coaster on the second track. A confident expression came upon his face. This might be doable after all.

* * *

 

Arygyn wasn't taking it easy on the teens at all. Finn was now chasing a runaway duck that somehow flew off and his patience was depleted as it began to fly back around to smack him in the head. Flame couldn't stop herself from laughing, but continued watching as the blonde closed his eyes and took a deep breath, aiming his crossbow at the approaching fake duck and managed to take it down in one shot. Both Arygyn and Flame were impressed that he'd finally managed to concentrate effectively to eliminate his target.

Junko was still being chased around by the other bumper pods. A few were behind him and while he was concentrated on that, looked forward to see a group of them heading straight toward him. A smile formed across his lips as he got the brilliant idea to move out of the way at the last second, causing the pods to crash into each other while his bumper pod flew out of the ring and fell apart.

Piper, still at it, decided to take several steps back. She took a deep breath and began running toward the platform, hammer in hand. She leaped as high as she could, taking a mid-air spin to conjure up more strength and aimed straight for the platform. The fist accelerated to the top, knocking the bell right off of the pole and continued to fly through the air. She was very impressed with herself as she watched the red bell disappear from sight.

Stork, still hanging on for dear life, had enough of the mechanical bull. He grabbed it by the horns and began pushing back with as much force as he possibly could. He was actually beginning to enjoy himself when the ride suddenly stopped, the power to the bull cutting out as he'd finally broken the machine. He hopped off, grateful to be on solid ground until he's realized that he tore his uniform, his baby blue underpants with small skulls on them peeping out from the torn cloth. That dampened his victorious moment slightly.

Arygyn and Flame watched as the coaster went by, the first one not having anyone on it. They heard the second coaster, looking to see Aerrow on it as he was quickly catching up to the first one. Flame had a rather large smile on her face when the two coasters met, expecting Aerrow to jump onto it. Suddenly, the familiar sound of Arygyn's sceptre chimed and Aerrow's coaster began to speed out of control. She could hear her cousin's frantic but short yelp from the unexpected twist. Aerrow suddenly jumped from his coaster, using his glider to lower himself toward the first one and landed right in the front seat of the speedy cars.

Arygyn called the ride to stop and bring the coaster in, impressed with how the redhead had managed to improvise and change his approach to reach his goal.

The coaster stopped, Aerrow leaning back and rather relaxed with a confident smirk on his lips looked at Arygyn, "Now, about that training." he reminded the man.

"Oh, that?" the man spoke, throwing his hands up in the air and dismissing the teen's request.

Aerrow was taken back by his nonchalant attitude considering everything that was going to take place quite soon—the reason they were on Terra Neon in the first place. The other Storm Hawks approached. Junko seemed rather happy, but the others were irritated with the Warrior Trainer—Finn not forgetting to get the super large prize for Arygyn.

"You did it." Flame spoke out, looking at the man.

"Anyone up for a snack?" he asked them all.

"Am I!" Junko agreed enthusiastically.

"Now hold on just a minute," Aerrow spoke. Flame knew that tone and she knew that her cousin was more than unimpressed with Arygyn by now, "This has gone on long enough! You're supposed to be this great Warrior Trainer, but you haven't taught us a thing! The Talons are out there going after _our_ friends and we're on Terra Neon wasting time! So what's it gonna be?!" he asked the man.

Arygyn looked at the teen, fingers on his chin in thought, "Well I hear the flame corn here is excellent." he suggested with a smile.

Aerrow groaned, looking at his teammates, "Come on, guys. We're leaving." he told them and began to walk off, tired of Arygyn not taking anything seriously.

"I'll catch up with you all on the Condor." Flame informed them.

"What about cloud candy? Yeah, everyone likes that!" Arygyn suggested with a laugh as they continued to walk away.

"Stop teasing them already, Arygyn." she told him with a smile.

He looked at her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and they began to walk around the deserted Terra.

"Tell me more about the redhead." Arygyn spoke.

"Aerrow?" Flame asked.

"Yeah, that one. What's the deal with him? He's very serious for a kid."

"He was defeated by the Dark Ace during the attack of Atmosia, but his life was spared for what reason, I'm not sure, but I am grateful. He and the other Storm Hawks went into Cyclonia to retrieve the Aurora Stone and Aerrow actually defeated the Dark Ace during their second encounter. He was temporarily knocked unconscious by Ace while attempting to get the Aurora Stone, but nonetheless had managed to bring it back, despite it being in pieces." she explained.

"The first Sky Knight to defeat your devil of a husband, hm?" Arygyn spoke, no longer ignoring the fact that his best student was married to one of the most evil people out there.

"Yes. Even after all my years of training under you while learning at the Academy as well, I was only able to become his equal. I never defeated the Dark Ace." she admitted. She wasn't happy with the fact that she herself wasn't able to defeat him, but she was very proud of her cousin for doing so at such a young age.

"He is his father's son, indeed." Arygyn complimented the teen.

"Most definitely." Flame agreed with a smile, "I'm very proud of him."

"Does he know?" he asked her.

"He knows that he's Strike's only son, yes."

"And you?" Arygyn asked her.

"He knows that I'm his cousin as well."

"And _you_?" Arygyn asked again.

She realized what he was trying to say, "No, he doesn't know about them." she answered, releasing her wings for some air as they continued to walk.

"Flame," Arygyn spoke gently, "Do you even know yourself?"

"What? What kind of odd question is that? I 'ought to know who I am, Arygyn."

He chuckled and shook his head, "In time, my dear." he assured her, giving her a kiss on her forehead.

"What was she like?" Flame asked. It was a question that she'd repeatedly asked Arygyn, but he always dismissed it by either telling her to concentrate on her training, pretending not to hear her or even simply saying that he wouldn't talk about it. Still, that didn't stop her from trying to get an answer from him any chance she got.

"I think she was the only woman I ever felt attracted to—perhaps I can even say I loved her." Arygyn admitted, causing Flame to look at him in shock.

"I would have expected you to like Strike more." Flame giggled lightly.

"Your mother was an amazing woman. Power beyond any I've ever seen, and that's coming from a Guardian. Her beauty, well, neither the Phoenix Crystal nor the most exotic flower in the entire Atmos could compare to her."

"Did she love you as well?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice as to why she would ask such a thing.

"I'm not your father, Flame," he told her, causing her to roll her eyes and smile. She was pretty sure that she gathered that much simply from looking at him, "Her heart belonged to some else. She had an attraction to dangerous men. I see where you get it from." he brought to her attention, keeping in mind that the Dark Ace was a force to be reckoned with, "As long as you don't let that man cloud your judgement, I won't say anything about the decision you made."

"He won't," she reassured him, "But I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever find out who my father is." she thought aloud with a sigh, her wings folding and retracting back into her body.

"Was." Arygyn spoke, correcting her and giving her an idea that he knew much more about her than he let on.

"He has passed?" she asked, looking to the ground, "That is unfortunate."

"I wouldn't suggest snooping around to find out who he is," Arygyn warned her, "The truth will be eye opening, but I know you. You will be complete, but feel like you've lost more pieces to your puzzle."

"What kind of discovery could possibly make me feel more bloody lost than I already do, Arygyn?" she laughed and he chuckled lightly as they stopped by her Switchblade.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Trust me." he smiled.

She placed her own hand atop his, "You know I always have."

He wrapped his arms around her and she returned the gesture, "Just remember, you're more like your mother than your father." he assured her.

"It's comforting to know that." she whispered, "Thank you."

* * *

 

"Piper, put out an all channels call," Aerrow ordered, "Find out who's left. If we join forces, it might not be too late for the rest of us."

The alarms blared off in the helm room, grabbing everyone's attention.

Stork looked into the scope, seeing the Dark Ace himself heading straight for the Condor, "Yeah, it's too late." he said with a gloomy expression.

"You always expect the worst, Stork." Flame smiled.

"You don't even have anything to worry about, Flame," Finn commented.

She rolled her eyes, "Of course I have something to worry about. I don't want any of you being captured by Cyclonians."

Aerrow ordered everyone to the hangar to fight against the Talons. Flame had mixed feeling about attacking Talons. She was well respected by Cylonis and knew that upsetting the young Empress could potentially jeopardize where she stood in those relations. Perhaps she would stay away from the Elites and only attack the others. It was common knowledge that regulars could be easily replaced.

They took off, wings deploying as they hit the end of the air strip and dove down. They continued to make their way toward the Cyclonians, Flame flying just a bit higher than the rest of the Storm Hawks.

A large airship appeared from the clouds, where captured Sky Knights could be seen locked inside large cages on either side of the ship.

"Take a good look, Storm Hawks," the Dark Ace spoke out, "In just a few moments, you'll be joining them."

Flame looked at her husband, wondering why she had to fall in love with such an evil man.

Aerrow ordered the Storm Hawks to split up to draw them away from the barge, but Flame knew that they were only playing into the Dark Ace's hands.

The Dark Ace ordered the Elites to go after the now separated team while he kept his eyes on Aerrow.

Aerrow made his way over to the captured Sky Knights, informing them that he and the rest of the Storm Hawks would set them free soon enough. Suddenly, he was quickly spun around, unsure of what caused it until he saw the Dark Ace quickly appear from a bright flash of light.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." the Dark Ace told the teen.

This was going to prove difficult for the redhead now that he saw what the Talon was capable of. How could Flame love somebody like that?

Junko was being chased relentlessly by Ravess' arrows. Every twist and turn he made in an attempt to evade the tiny weapons just followed him as they were locked on to his position. He took to the ground of the Terra below, activating his knuckle busters and taking down trees. It stopped the arrows, but not the Talon who was still after the Wallop.

Snipe spun his mace around, eyes on Piper as he hurled the chained ball toward her, knocking the back of her Heli-Scooter. She flew off, dark smoke emanating from the engines as she tried to escape.

Meanwhile on the Condor, the Raptors were flying around, Stork looking in every direction possible in an attempt to not lose sight of any of them. Spitz decided to cut out the Merb's eyes, which only irritated Stork even more than he already was.

Leugey was enjoying himself whipping the surface of the Condor, being punched by a mechanical arm that retracted back into Stork's Mobile, ordering the reptile to get away from his ship. Hoerk and Spitz appeared next to Leugey, the three looking at each other with mischievous smirks and laughed as they looked back at the Merb.

Finn kept his Skimmer airborne and in place, looking around for a target through his crossbow when he saw a boomerang flying quickly toward him. He ducked in time, looking back to see the weapon land in Repton's hand. That might have been a problem.

While Aerrow was being constantly harassed by the Dark Ace, the captured Sky Knights tried to escape. Flame approached them on her Switchblade after taking out the Talons guarding the cages, trying to find a way to unlock it. She tried using her scythe to cut through the chains, but they were too well-built and it would damage her weapons. There wasn't much she could do without giving away just how powerful she really was and that was something she made sure nobody knew. She looked back at her cousin, getting more aggravated that her husband was relentlessly harassing the redhead.

The Dark Ace stopped to laugh at the helpless teen while hovering above him while upside down before adjusting his position. Aerrow pulled out his short blades, ready to take out the Dark Ace. He concentrated and jumped, firing his Lightning Claw toward the Talon, but fell out of the sky as the Dark Ace took off quickly, luckily being caught by his Skimmer, thanks to Radarr.

 _Why do I love that man?!_ Flame thought as she became more furious, still trying to think of a way to free the prisoners.

* * *

 

Leugey, Hoerk and Spitz latched their whips onto Stork's Mobile. The Merb chuckled nervously as he looked at the three Raptors surrounding him.

"Let's give him the ride of his life!" Hoerk said, tugging on the whip locked on to one end of the Mobile, jerking the Merb a bit. Leugey and Spitz followed suit, tugging as hard as they could.

Stork continued to get jerked around, the motions causing him to remember the mechanical bull back on Terra Neon and he began to laugh, "You call that a ride?" he asked the three raptors, "I'll show you a ride!" he yelled, grabbing hold of the controls and pulling up and down over and over until he finally pulled down hard enough that the three reptiles collided with each other and freeing the Merb of their harassment.

Piper was still flying away from Snipe, who decided to use the energy in his mace to his advantage, the wave killing the engine in her Heli-Scooter. She jumped out of the seat, landing on the ground as Snipe approached her.

"You better stay back!" she told the brute.

"Or what?" he asked, laughing out as he lighting bounced the end of his mace in his hand, getting off of his ride, still tapping the weapon in his hand while the young woman approached him, "Tell you what," he began, "Because you're a _girl_ , I'll let you take the first shot." he smiled as he pointed to his jaw.

Piper smiled, "My pleasure." she agreed, putting her all into the punch and caused the brute to go airborne, landing somewhere in the forest nearby. Even she was surprised that she was able to do such a thing. Perhaps that time spent trying to hit the bell came in handy after all.

Junko, still evading Ravess, was taken back by her firing several arrows toward him. He neared a cliff and drove off, deploying his Skimmer's wings immediately, looking back at the multiple arrows flying toward him. He realized that they were just like the bumper-pods back on Terra Neon, remembering how he avoided crashing into them. He turned around, making sure the arrows were still following him as he was now flying straight toward Ravess. He flew over her and she looked back at him, unsure of what the Wallop was doing only to look back at her own arrows aiming straight for her.

Her ride that was now out of control crashed right into the large holding cell on the opposite end of the airship, the now free Sky Knights walking out toward the Talons that were guarding them.

While Finn continued to avoid Repton's boomberang, he too saw that it was just like the duck. That gave him hope as he casually aimed and fired, hitting the boomerang dead center, the weapon crumbling into pieces. Repton was uncertain as to what just happened as Finn approached him, not hesitating to shoot and knocked the reptile off of his ride.

Aerrow realized that the Dark Ace's movements were just like the coaster back on Terra Neon. That was something he could work with. He pulled out a Nitro Crystal, popping it into the crystal converter in his Skimmer and the ride took off with great speed. His Skimmer began to dance around the Dark Ace's Switchblade, eventually disappearing. The Dark Ace stopped to look at Aerrow's Skimmer taking off without the redhead.

"Pleasure doing battle with you, Aerrow." he spoke with a menacing smile.

"Actually," Aerrow spoke as he landed on the wing of the Talon's Switchblade, "The pleasure's all mine." he finished with his two energy blades up and ready.

"Just one question," the Dark Ace said, "How?" he asked, wanting to know how the teen could have possibly overcome such intense speed.

"How else?" the redhead spoke confidently, "We've been training." he stated simply as he used his Lightning Claw maneuver to knock the Dark Ace off of his Switchblade, returning to his own Skimmer.

After everyone was freed, the Storm Hawks and Flame took off on the Condor, flying wherever Stork felt like.

"I have to admit," Aerrow spoke, "I may have doubted him, but all the time, Arygyn _actually_ knew what he was doing."

"He always does, Aerrow." Flame smiled, giving her little cousin a hug before taking off from the ship and returning to her home in Atmosia.

* * *

 

_**Flashback...** _

_Flame used her impressive speed and toppled the Dark Ace over. He hit the ground and a sound of pain emanated from his lips as he looked up at her hovering over him, "Where you really trying to run, Dark Ace? I wasn't aware your balls were lost along with the Condor."_

_He smirked._

" _You find this funny, do you?" she asked, a curious expression on her face._

_He grabbed her wrists, starting to sit up without letting her go, "Do you really think you're stronger than me, Flame?"_

_The look on her face was one of shock, unsure of how it was possible for him to be stronger than her after all the time she'd spent on overpowering him and observing him in every way possible. Still, she didn't move even though he had her pinned down to the ground at this point, both of her wrists bound by his hand. His eyes told her that he had something up his sleeve and she was curious as to what he had planned._

_He grabbed the hilt of his double-edged sword, "I've got something special for you today." He spoke, a menacing smile appearing across his lips as the blade lit up with a familiar blue glow._

_'Lightning Strike's crystal...' "You bastard!" she yelled, her leg instantly connecting with his groin._

_"Fuck!" he hissed in pain, dropping his sword to hold the area, "You bitch!"_

_"Did you honestly think using something so dear to me would provoke some sort of weakness, Ace?"_

_He chuckled after recovering from her reaction, "It was worth a try."_

_She picked up his sword, looking at the weapon as it once again lit up, more concentrated on the Striker Crystal. She never thought she would see it again._

_"Why did you keep it?" she asked him, her eyes never leaving the weapon._

_"I don't know."_

_"You don't deserve to use it, Ace." she informed him, handing his sword back to him._

_He held the hilt of the sword and looked at her as she continued to hold on to it tightly. He knew what she wanted,_

_"I won't use this as long as you don't crush my nuts again."_

_"I won't have to as long as you don't use it again."_

* * *

 

She opened the front door of her home to see him sitting on the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose, "What are you doing here?" she asked him, clearly unhappy.

The Dark Ace stood up and walked up to Flame, his head low, "I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble, babe."

She let out a sarcastic laugh, "You tend to put me in awkward positions, Ace. As you said, it's nothing I can't get myself out of."

"I just hope this will make up for everything," he spoke, pulling out a familiar object and holding it up for her. She gasped and covered her mouth, eyes stuck on the Striker Crystal, "There's nobody else in the entire Atmos that deserves this more than you." he told her.

"Ace..." she spoke lightly, her voice cracking. She moved to touch it, but for some reason was afraid, as if touching it would cause the crystal to lose its purity or lose some part of Strike that she clung on to.

"So, it _was_ a weakness that day?" he asked as he observed her reaction.

She looked up at him, smiling and wiping away her glowing tears, "Of course it was."


End file.
